Chapter 1 - Overture

Tens of thousands of years ago, a being known as Nightmare emerged. A company, Holy Nightmare Corporation, was singlehandedly constructed by him. He conquered the entirety of the universe with massive hordes of monstrous creatures; creatures so horrific and beastlike, they were comparable to demons. The demon beasts ravaged countless planets among the galaxies, and a myriad of innocents suffered.

Those who cherished freedom chose to rebel. The Galaxy Soldier Army was formed, and the war against Nightmare's cruel reign began. Though the first rebellion was small, Nightmare's anger was great. Thus, the first generation of Star Warriors were born. Centuries of strife passed, and the Galaxy Soldier Army's forces grew in both size and strength as more rose to the call.

But it wasn't enough.

Unfortunately, Nightmare possessed a limitless supply of demon beasts, and the Star Warriors fell one after another. The small number that remained went into hiding. With the resistance defeated along with the galaxies' last hope for freedom, The Emperor of Darkness was free to rule without opposition.

(Journey - Branch)

Several years later on the planet Pop Star, the people of a small country named Dream Land were threatened by numerous attacks; a monster was devouring the village's sheep. This 'monster' was the demon beast Octakon. Desperate, they sought out wisdom from the stone sage, Kabu. Dream Land was under target by Nightmare and to be destroyed. Despite the bleakness of the situation, hope was found in a legend. Exceeding space-time, a Star Warrior would arrive to save them - Kirby of the Stars.

Moments later, a starship crash-landed near the village. The residents were shocked to discover the fabled warrior was in fact a small, pink, baby puffball. Kirby was quickly befriended by the Cabinet Minister's children; Fumu and Bun, as well as the rest of the inhabitants. However, the king of Dream Land, King Dedede, was jealous and suspicious of Kirby and wanted to get rid of him. Assisted by his advisor Escargon, the king made numerous attempts to do so with the demon beasts purchased from Holy Nightmare Corporation.

Despite his infancy, Kirby was indeed a Star Warrior. The child possessed the unique skill of temporarily copying the abilities of his opponents. With this power, he defeated Octakon along with a slew of other demon beasts sent afterward. With each vanquished foe, Kirby steadily began to prove himself more worthy of the title 'Star Warrior'.

In the end, Kirby faced Nightmare in a final battle. None of the pink puffball's attacks had any effect; Nightmare seemed invincible. Kirby quickly fell asleep due to exhaustion, and Nightmare entered his dream. In a last ditch effort, Fumu took the Warp Star from her pocket and threw it to Kirby. He inhaled it to become Star Rod Kirby - the source of Nightmare's only weakness, allowing Kirby to defeat The Emperor of Darkness.

True to his name, Nightmare was the very embodiment of evil that existed within dreams. Therefore, it was reasonable to believe the only place such a wretched creature could be vanquished was inside a dream.

With the pink hero triumphing over the ultimate evil, at last the galaxy could begin to live in peace...

Several months quietly passed since then - nearly six, to be precise. Life in Dream Land quickly returned to normal. Through hard work and dedication, all traces of damage the village sustained in the final battle were erased. Without the threat of near-constant demon beast attacks hovering over them, the residents could live their lives in peace as they once did before.

Kirby still resided in the small, dome-shaped, single-room house his friends built for him. The pink puffball usually chose to spend his carefree days playing with the children of the village, chasing butterflies, or taking naps under the warm afternoon sun. It was certainly a simple lifestyle, but he was content.

(Ushio - CLANNAD)

It was another beautiful day in Dream Land. The sun shone brightly over the hills and valleys of their modest country. There was a gentle early spring breeze present, the grass and flowers swaying. The townspeople were dutifully carrying out their usual routines in the peaceful Cappy Village. Such scenery almost seemed too picturesque to be real, yet it definitely existed thanks to Kirby's efforts. Though the sun was positioned high in the sky, the young Star Warrior was still fast asleep in his bed.

"Kirby!" A young girl's voice called out, her knuckles tapping against the door of the little hero's abode.

The small puff stirred, then sleepily rubbed his blue eyes.

"Are you still asleep?" The girl asked, her knocking sounding a bit louder. "It's after ten! You don't want to sleep the whole day away, do you?"

"C'mon, Kirby!" A boy was heard next. "Time to get up! We don't want to keep everyone waiting!"

Kirby sat up once he recognized the voices of his friends and quickly rolled out of the sheets.

"Fumu, poyo! Bun, poyo!" He yelled, nearly launching himself out the door.

The pair exchanged grins. Despite the fact they saw him every day, Kirby always greeted them with the same boundless enthusiasm. He found delight in even the most simple of things, and at first the siblings assumed it was because he was a young child. Nevertheless, his positive attitude was one of the many reasons why they had grown so fond of the little puffball.

"Good morning, Kirby." Fumu smiled at him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Poyo! Poyo!" He babbled excitedly while repeatedly leaping into the air.

(Mr. Resetti - Animal Crossing (GCN))

"Oi..!" A yellow bird appeared in the tree next to the house. "You brats are so noisy!"

"Well, here comes Tokkori." Bun muttered.

"Tokkori, it's after ten. It's not like you're trying to sleep." Fumu replied, ignoring his unpleasant behavior.

"Regardless, it's entirely too loud!" The yellow bird complained in his shrill voice. "You're disturbing the peace with all your yelling and poyo poyoing!"

He flew down from the tree and fluttered over them. "Speaking of the kid, is that still all he can say?"

"He's been saying a few things." Bun answered. "Our names, his name, a few other words. What's it to you anyway?"

"That's it?" The bird scoffed, then perched himself on top of Kirby's head. "This oaf's been here about three years. He should be talking by now, not babbling the same things over and over."

Fumu frowned. "Everyone learns at a different pace. He's still very young and just needs a little more patience. Kirby will start talking when he's ready."

"Nah." Tokkori pecked at the puffball none too gently. "He's just really slow-minded. You know, stupid? By the time you kids are old, he'll probably still be as dumb as ever! Nahahaha!"

Tokkori was well known amongst the townsfolk as an ornery bird, but the siblings knew he didn't actually dislike Kirby nearly as much as he led others to believe. It was true he did often pick on him, and he had taken the puffball's bed as his own too many times to count anymore (though Fumu had since swung the almighty ban hammer on this particular act of browbeating).

However, insulting Kirby's intelligence? That was where Fumu drew the line.

Fumu crossed her arms and leaned towards the bird with a fierce glare. "Kirby is not stupid. Tokkori, go back to your nest."

His laughter instantly ceased. Intimidated by the short-tempered girl, Tokkori retreated to the tree he came from without so much as a peep. Kirby rubbed his forehead, not fully comprehending why Fumu became so angry. Tokkori teased him many times before, so why did she lose her temper so suddenly?

(Ring Ring Ring! - Little Busters!)

The blonde girl sighed and shook her head, then turned her attention to the pink puff. "Kirby, you shouldn't let him pick on you like that. You need to put your foot down somewhere."

"S...Sowwy." The young Star Warrior apologized with a tiny frown.

Fumu's stern expression softened. "It's okay... and we know you're not dumb, Kirby. So don't let anyone make you think so for a second!"

"Yeah, Tokkori's just full of hot air." Bun added, brushing the current topic aside. He lightly nudged Kirby with his elbow and dashed ahead of them. "C'mon, Kirby! Let's go play tag with the others! I'll race you!"

"Poyay!" The little puff cheered, immediately sprinting after the boy.

Kirby quickly caught up to him, then mimicked Bun's earlier action by bumping his arm against Bun's side with a playful giggle. The pink puffball was doing well in keeping pace with the older boy, grinning when he would momentarily pass by Bun, only to fall behind.

Fumu watched the scene a little while longer, then hurried after the two.

"This is how it should be, always." Fumu thought with a growing smile. "Kirby, Bun and I, everyone, here in our peaceful Cappy Village."

Nearby the village was a large field where the lushest, greenest grass grew in all of Dream Land. This field was only one of several composing Green Greens, but even it seemed to stretch on forever. The children loved to play there almost every day, sometimes from early dawn to late dusk.

When the trio arrived, they found the trio of Cappy children already waiting for them.

"Hey, Fumu and Bun are here!" Iroo shouted happily.

"And they brought Kirby too!" Hohhe added.

At the mention of his name, Kirby bounded towards them with a loud and enthusiastic 'poyo'. In his excitement, he nearly crashed into the young Cappies.

"We thought Kirby might still be sleeping." Honey said with a small giggle. "Is he going to play tag with us today?"

"Po-ye!" The pink puffball responded cheerily, coupled with a nod.

"Where are Lololo and Lalala? They're usually with you two." Hohhe asked.

"King Dedede is keeping them busy with chores, one after another." Bun frowned. "He said that Lololo and Lalala have to do whatever he says because they live in the castle as his servants, but I think he might just be trying to keep them from playing with Kirby."

"That stupid king..." Fumu growled under her breath.

"I think Lololo and Lalala won't be able to make it, so we'll have to play without them today." Bun said, though he was just as displeased as everyone else present. The duo always proved themselves to be a formidable challenge in any game of tag, partially because of their ability to fly. Without them, the game just wasn't the same.

"Aren't you going to play with us, Fumu?" Honey asked.

"No, I have my book on the history of Dream Land. I can't wait to start reading it again." The girl answered with a bright smile before sitting under a shady tree and producing a familiar book from her backpack.

Even if she hadn't said anything, Bun would have instantly recognized the book. That book had a history of its own. Fumu received it for her birthday several years ago after spotting the book on display in Bibli's Bookstore. Apparently it was an exceptionally rare book as well, since Bibli could only acquire one copy. She loved the book more than any present she ever received. She carried it with her everywhere, and was even found holding it as she slept on some nights.

However, King Dedede snatched the book from her not too long afterward. He had done so in order to force a reaction out of the once quiet girl. In truth, King Dedede planned to immediately return it after he had his petty fun, expecting her to plead with him to give the stolen book back. Instead, she went into a blind, verbal rage. In his own anger, the king yelled that he was going to burn it until nothing but ashes remained. That was the first time Bun saw his sister cry.

Having no further use for the book and no intention of carrying out his threat, but also too proud to return it, King Dedede stuffed it in a shelf in the castle's library. There it stayed, collecting dust until someone found it. Fumu cherished that book over all others she owned, and Bun knew how important it was to her, but...

"It just sounds boring to me." Bun frowned, the mere sight of the intimidatingly large book gave him a headache. "And haven't you read that same book over umpteen times? You're always reading or writing instead of doing something fun."

"I think those things are fun." She replied, not even gazing upward as she opened the cover of the book. "Also, 'umpteen' isn't a real number. If you're going to exaggerate about my reading habits, at least use an actual number, Bun."

"Whatever you say, sis..." Her younger brother mumbled. Fumu probably would have given him a long-winded lecture on why history was important and needed to be appreciated, or something of the like, had she not been so eager to begin reading the book in question. Bun was simply thankful he was spared this time around.

"So, are we playing or what?" Bun asked once he joined the others.

"We still have to choose who's going to be 'it'." Iroo answered. "Ready...Not 'it'!"

"Not 'it'!" Came a chorus of shouts.

"Poyit!"

(Green Greens - Kirby's Dream Land)

"Kirby is 'it'!" The children shouted and began to run away.

The little Star Warrior tilted his head. "Poyo?"

"Hey Kiiiiirby! I'm over heeeere!" Bun taunted him from behind a bush.

"Poyo?" Kirby toddled in his direction, only to look surprised when the boy immediately dodged him.

"Kirby! Hey, Kirby! You can't catch us!" Hohhe and Iroo teased and taunted as they drew nearer.

Just like Bun, the young Cappies avoided him when the puffball ventured too close. Kirby frowned as the boys continued to jeer at him, eventually choosing to stand still.

"I think Kirby doesn't know what he's supposed to do." Honey whispered.

"I should have known letting him be 'it' was a bad idea!" Hohhe whined. "He can't even play tag right! How dumb is he?"

"How could you say something so mean?" Fumu asked with a frown as she set her beloved book aside. "Kirby is younger than you and he's learning things that may seem simple to us. It's not fair to make fun of him!"

The other children complained, but decided to give in and tutor Kirby so they could continue their game.

"Geez..." Bun sighed, shaking his head. "I never thought we would have to show a Star Warrior how to play tag..."

"Oi, Kirby!" The younger brother called to him. "Come here, we'll teach you how to play!"

Nobody could have expected what happened next. Kirby bounded towards him at full throttle, but he didn't stop. Bun barely had time to scream, the pitch of his voice increasing by several levels, as the pink Star Warrior threw himself at the boy and tackled him to the ground.

Kirby gazed down at him and smiled sweetly, then offered only a single worded response to the boy's dumbfounded expression.

"Tag."

A long silence followed. Nobody moved, nobody blinked. Everyone stood, staring with mouths agape at the innocent-appearing puffball they thought mere seconds ago was hopelessly confused. Then suddenly, the field was filled with an uproar of laughter.

"Did you see his face?" Iroo laughed as he leaned on Hohhe for support.

"I didn't know Bun could scream like that." Honey said between giggles as she and Fumu were close to tears. "He sounded like a little girl!"

"You...You little..." Bun seethed, but broke out into a fit of chuckles himself. "You little stinker!"

"Poyo~!" Kirby giggled, clearly proud of himself.

Once everyone's laughter died down, the children resumed enjoying their games well into the afternoon. Kirby was 'it' a few more times, but no one fell for the puffball's trick again. Evening soon fell, and it was time for everyone to go their separate ways.

"Hey, Kirby!" Fumu called out to the young Star Warrior. "Would you like to have dinner with us tonight?"

"Yea!" Kirby squealed with glee as he bounced towards the siblings.

After walking up the steep, winding hill Castle Dedede resided upon, the three thankfully managed to arrive home before dark. Even as they walked down the halls of the bottommost stories, the delicious smell of their mother's home cooking was strong.

Fumu reached for the door, then invited Kirby into their living room. Once inside, the young Star Warrior politely wiped his feet on the rug before walking on the carpet.

(Inside a House - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

"Fumu, Bun, you're back just in time. Dinner should be ready any minute now." Memu said as she stepped out of the kitchen. "And I see Kirby is with you. Are you joining us tonight, Kirby?"

"Yea!" He responded happily.

Memu smiled. "I had a feeling you would be, so I made a little extra just in case."

After Kirby and the family washed up, they took their seats at the table. Memu had prepared a delectable steak dinner with cooked vegetables on the side. The pink hero hungrily eyed the meal before him as warm steam wafted from the meat on his plate.

"Feel free to eat to your heart's content, Kirby." Memu said, noticing his hesitance.

"Mama, don't say that!" Bun whined. "He's probably gonna..."

Instead of inhaling the food in front of him as expected, the young puffball took his fork and knife and cut off a section of his steak. He took large bites, but this was how Kirby ate for the rest of the meal.

"My my..." Cabinet Minister Parm said with surprise. "What wonderful manners!"

"When he first landed in Dream Land, he would have gobbled up everything on the table. Even the plates and silverware! Look at how far he's come!" Memu praised.

"Kirby's grown so much since then." Fumu smiled. "I wish you could have seen him play tag with Bun earlier. Kirby tackled him to the ground."

Bun crossed his arms as Fumu told their parents what happened during the afternoon game of tag. Then the boy's cheeks began to flush as everyone else at the table laughed at his sister's retelling of the day's earlier events.

"Hey! It was a dirty trick and it wasn't even that funny anyway!" He began to pout. "Even if he can do things like eat with silverware, he still can't talk. Shouldn't he...you know, be saying more by now?"

Fumu's eyes narrowed. "Bun, don't start bullying Kirby too. I absolutely won't let you get away with it."

"Now Fumu, you know your brother isn't trying to say anything hurtful..." Parm said slowly, trying to pacify his daughter.

"Bun, dear, these sort of things can take some time." Their mother laughed. "You were the exact same way. You started walking before you ever began speaking. We worked for hours each day trying to teach you a few small words! Lololo and Lalala even tried to help. Isn't that right, dear?"

"Yes, we couldn't get you to say anything, no matter what we did." Parm frowned. "Then one day you suddenly started talking, and you haven't stopped since..."

"Dear!" Memu chided her husband.

Their father chuckled as Bun and Memu frowned at him. "What Mama is trying to say is, very young children learn things differently. Fumu learned speech earlier than you, but you learned how to walk earlier than your sister."

"Mama and Papa are right. Kirby will probably start whenever he's ready, so let's try to be patient and wait a little longer." Fumu now understood Bun was only wishing to see the pink puffball grow alongside them, similarly to how she felt. Though Bun would probably never admit it aloud, Fumu knew he saw Kirby as his own little brother.

"But Mama, Papa, what were Bun's first words?" She asked with genuine curiosity. "I can't remember either of you telling me before."

"It's probably something embarrassing!" Her brother complained as his cheeks began to burn up.

Parm and Memu gleefully answered in near unison. "Bun's first sentence was, 'I love you, sis'."

"Awww, how sweet!" Fumu said as she leaned teasingly towards her brother, but she was actually quite touched after hearing this.

"Poyaww!" Kirby joyfully parroted.

"Aww, I knew it was going to be embarrassing!" The boy whined in misery as he covered his blushing face.

"Oh, Bun! It's nothing to be ashamed about!" Memu said in a lightly scolding tone. "I have plenty of stories about you that are actually embarrassing. I saw Kirby wipe his feet on the way in. What I wouldn't have given for a toddler who wiped their feet on the mat instead of the carpet when you were that small!"

The table was filled with laughter again, excluding the boy who was at the center of it all.

"Aaah! Everyone at this table is against me!" Bun wailed as his forehead hit the table with a soft 'thunk'.

Memu comfortingly patted her son's hair. "We're just teasing you a little, dear. I hope you know we weren't trying to hurt your feelings."

"...Whatever." Bun mumbled, his face still flushed.

The family finished the rest of their dinner without a hitch, then gathered up the dishes and silverware to be put in the kitchen sink. Kirby hopped down from his chair, then lightly tugged on Memu's dress to catch her attention.

"Tankyu!" He babbled.

"How precious!" Memu gushed. "Your welcome, Kirby. I'm happy you enjoyed it."

"Are you going home, Kirby?" Fumu asked a while later, when she noticed the pink puffball toddling towards the door.

"Poya." He nodded.

"Alright, but be careful on the way." The girl warned. "Don't fall asleep in a tree tonight instead of your bed, and try not to trip and fall outside. I don't want you to get hurt, especially when I'm not there to help you."

"Poyo!" He replied in agreement and trotted down the hallway.

She waited until the little Star Warrior disappeared down the expansive halls, then Fumu quickly made her way to one of the castle's many balconies. Once Fumu arrived, she found her brother was already waiting there.

(8 PM - Animal Crossing: New Leaf)

"Worrywart." Bun said with a cheeky grin. "I knew you would be here."

"But you're here too." She pointed out with a grin of her own.

"S-Shut up..." The younger sibling crossed his arms and turned his focus to the view below. "There he is, sis." He said, pointing to the area directly underneath the balcony.

Fumu leaned forward to get a better look. Kirby chose the road that lied behind the castle instead of the front, despite knowing the front road was closer to his house. She supposed the puffball wanted to take the scenic route tonight and wander around a while before going home.

Cappy Village was a peaceful and quiet place, so Kirby should be safe walking alone at night. Even so, sometimes Fumu would secretly follow him, or she and Bun would watch the puffball from the castle's balconies until he reached his dome-shaped house. King Dedede ordering demon beasts was no longer an issue, but she still couldn't help but fuss and worry over the little puffball at times.

Fumu continued to monitor the little Star Warrior until he was nearing Whispy Woods' Forest. She began to relax, then turned her attention to Bun. Her younger brother was barely conscious; he would lean on his hand a moment, then suddenly jolt himself awake.

"Bun, you need to go to bed." Fumu suggested, or rather commanded.

"But I'm not...tired yet." The boy denied, then let out a loud yawn.

"You may say that, but we both know it isn't true." Fumu shook her head. "It's not healthy to stay up late."

Too exhausted to argue, Bun dragged himself indoors to do as his sister said. The girl started to yawn as well, so she decided it was best to follow suit. Fumu took one last glance at the little Star Warrior's location before leaving the balcony. He had walked home alone at night many times before and nothing had happened before. Why would tonight be any different?

Before the exhausted siblings could reach their own home however, two figures blocked the way. They were the last people Fumu and Bun wanted to see: His Majesty, King Dedede and Escargon.

(Team Skull - Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky)

"Have you let that Kirby into my castle again?" The king immediately questioned.

"What if we did?" Fumu retorted. She was not in the mood to hear any of Dedede's grievances tonight. "Why does it matter, anyway? Kirby has played here plenty of times before, and you should be grateful to him anyway. He saved you and the rest of Dream Land."

"B-Because!" King Dedede stomped his feet angrily and shouted. "This is my castle! I'm the king, and I decide who gets to come in and who stays out, and I want that stupid creampuff out! I don't get why you go on about that dumb pink ball so much anyway! He can't even talk, so what's so great about him?!"

"It's not recommended to anger His Majesty when he's jealous." Escargon interjected before the king's massive fist made harsh contact with his skull.

"Shut up, Escargon!" He bellowed, then set his lackey upright. "Now tell 'em why they have to listen to me!"

"Ahem..." The snail frowned, but proceeded to do as his king ordered all the same. "Disobeying the demands of the king is a strict violation of Dream Land law." Escargon said smugly. "Such disregard for the laws of this land is deplorable, especially from the Cabinet Minister's own children!"

"Deplorable?!" Fumu shouted, flabbergasted at the accusation. "Why should we respect your laws when you have no respect for Dream Land or its people? How many times have you harassed the villagers and attacked Kirby?!"

"Silence, silence, silence! Holy Nightmare was the one who kept sending the demon beasts! They were after Kirby anyway, so none of it was my fault!" King Dedede yelled, once again denying responsibility for his actions. "And you're saying that like a demon beast showed up every week! How many times could it have been anyway?!"

"Close to one hundred, I think." Bun retorted under his breath before deciding it was time to wrap up this meaningless conversation. "Besides, Kirby isn't even here now. He went home a while ago."

(A Beast in the Village - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)

At hearing this new information, the snail and the king looked at each other for a moment, then King Dedede turned to the siblings and grinned slyly. Fumu and Bun knew that look far more than they would have liked, and it never meant something good was going to happen.

"So, Kirby's walking home right now...alone?" The king questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Fumu and Bun refused to say anything, which only made the king's grin widen.

"The darkness can be so dangerous for such a young child to wander around in..." Escargon said, feigning concern as he followed the king's lead. "What a terrible thing to do, letting poor little Kirby leave on his own."

"Creatures of all kinds come out at night, under the cover of darkness." Dedede spoke, pausing either for dramatic effect or to irritate the two further. "You never know what could be out there...lurking around."

"What have you done?" Fumu scowled. "You've plotted something, haven't you?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all!" King Dedede nearly sang as he strolled past the children.

"You accuse us too often." Escargon said, following his lead. "We wish Kirby the safest journey home..." He added in a sinister tone.

"Both of you are terrible!" Fumu felt her clenched fists shake with anger. "Don't act so innocent! Get back here! What are you planning to do to Kirby?!"

"Sis, please calm down. They're not worth it." Bun whispered tiredly. "Those two will say anything to make you mad."

"...Yeah, I know." The older sibling exhaled slowly, feeling a bit foolish for allowing herself to fall for their nasty trick.

Though Escargon often took part in the king's schemes, the siblings knew he possessed a rarely seen kinder side. Not that it was enough to excuse him from his actions. The snail was obviously the brains of the duo, and the two had once heard Escargon earned a doctorate in the science field. It made them wonder why he wouldn't resign and find employment somewhere else where his talents would be appreciated. Fumu theorized it was a case of Stockholm syndrome, and because of that, she did hold some amount of pity for him.

King Dedede, however, was a different story altogether.

Fumu had plenty of experience in dealing with the childish king of Dream Land, more so than Bun due to being the eldest of the pair. She knew King Dedede was using vague threats towards Kirby to torment her, as he had done so many times in the past. That was also why he forced Lololo and Lalala to do chores until dusk instead of letting them play with the other children. His actions were fueled entirely by spite.

She honestly couldn't fathom why Kirby adored him as much as he did. King Dedede had been rude and malicious towards the puffball since the very moment he crashed in Dream Land, yet the young Star Warrior still seemed to have a certain unshakable faith in him.

The girl began to perk up a little. "Even if King Dedede still wants to attack Kirby, it isn't as if he can order a demon beast. Holy Nightmare is gone. His threats had to be empty in the first place."

"And we both know there's no way he's going to fight Kirby himself."

The siblings laughed aloud at the thought, imagining King Dedede marching up to Kirby's house and declaring battle against the pink puff. It would never happen! The self-proclaimed king was too cowardly and lazy to do such a thing without assistance of some sort.

Bun entered the doorway to their home, but turned around to find his sister looking out of the nearest window. Fumu surveyed the outlying grassy fields, then began to feel at ease when she spotted the pink puff near his home. She faced her brother, who wore the same stupid grin from earlier.

"Worrywart."

"Shut up, Bun."

(8 PM - Animal Crossing: New Leaf)

Kirby ambled along the fields that lied just outside town. With the nearly full, glowing moon and the glittering stars illuminating the sky above, it was easy to see what lied ahead. Shadows of the surrounding trees and other objects were stretched and cast onto the path the little puff traveled, but he wasn't frightened in the slightest. As a result of being raised in such a quiet village, the toddler felt no fear when the darkness came.

The cool wind whistled through the trees, and the leaves and bushes shuddered in response. While this may have seemed unnerving to many, it sounded like nature's lullaby to Kirby. The pink spud thought about curling up in one of the nearby trees or shrubs and sleeping there for the night, but he knew Fumu wouldn't like that. He didn't want to make her worried or upset.

The little Star Warrior began to hum a tune as he made his way home. When Kirby passed by Whispy Woods' Forest, he was nearly tempted into venturing inside and eating a few apples as a snack. He thought better of it though, knowing fully well there was a chance he might get lost inside with the moon's light blocked out by the trees. Had Kirby been the age he was when the puffball first arrived on Pop Star, he would have charged in without a second thought.

As he turned away from the woods' entrance however, it seemed as though something had moved out of his field of vision. The puffball quickly whirled around to face the expansive forest, but saw nothing unusual or out of the ordinary among the trees.

Kirby started to hum again as he resumed his walk, deciding if he had seen something, it must have been one of the nocturnal animals that lived in Whispy Woods' Forest. Perhaps it was his friend, Coo the Owl!

Snap...crunch...crunch...

"Poyo?"

The puffball immediately spun around at hearing the sounds. His blue eyes inspected the area carefully, but the source of the noise was nowhere in sight. Kirby confusedly scratched his head with one small pink paw. Whatever sort of creature it was, Coo or not, had sounded extremely close.

Sluuurp...

That was definitely not Coo.

Turning around one last time to face the forest, Kirby gazed in the direction the peculiar noises had come from. Unlike the previous instances, he clearly saw something moving in the distance. Ultimately, Kirby was able to make out a figure in the moonlight amid the trees.

(Umbra nigra - Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

It was somewhat round, not unlike his own body. Due to the darkness, the puff couldn't determine the color of the creature, or any physical attributes that suggested what it was. Its outline did not offer many hints towards identifying the unknown figure either. Many of Dream Land's inhabitants possessed a similar frame.

However, something about the silhouette seemed much too different from an average Dream Lander.

The mysterious life form shifted when it noticed someone was watching. The creature instantly turned to face the direction of the young Star Warrior, and Kirby felt a slight chill. It was staring at him...staring at him with a wide, round, unmoving optic. It never moved, blinked, or even appeared to breathe.

It just stared.

Without any warning, the figure vanished. Not wanting to stay in the area any longer than necessary, Kirby tore his gaze away from where the creature formerly stood and walked down the path a little faster. The dirt underneath his ruby red feet was gradually replaced with grass, and the toddler smiled as his dome-shaped home came into view.

Kirby entered his humble abode, shut the small wooden door tight, then closed the curtain to block out the moonlight. Realizing how fatigued he was, the pink puff dived into bed at once. As he snuggled into the soft, warm covers and began to relax, Kirby gradually forgot what happened near the forest...or if anything even happened at all.

Author's Note: Hello, readers! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of After Story. To those who are unfamiliar with After Story's system, this fan fiction adapts the various plots from the video games into a story (sort of like a novelization) and incorporates aspects and characters from the anime.

This version of After Story is a rewrite of the BETA to show my improvement as an author, to tell After Story how it was originally meant to be told, and to celebrate Kirby's 25th anniversary. I sincerely hope you enjoy this fan fiction and that it may touch your hearts as the games and characters have touched mine.

Keep track of and pay close attention to the titles of each chapter, as they usually have a reference or foreshadowing hidden in them. Or they may just sound cool in general. Also, the stuff in parentheses are songs for the reader to listen to, to help enhance the reading experience. It's obviously not mandatory, but they are there in case anyone is interested.