Heroes of Dreamland, Book 1: Kirby and the Monstrous Lightning (OLD)

World 1 Level 3- A Purpose Revealed

Meta Knight led her through so many dark hallways and down so many spiral staircases that eventually she didn't know where she was anymore. "I don't think I've ever cleaned down here..." she mused nervously.

"The king never comes down here, so it would be pointless," he shrugged, turning into a door on their right.

Rolling her eyes, she retorted, "The king never really goes anywhere, aside from the dining room and the throne room. All our cleaning is pointless."

He chuckled. "Anyway." His eyes glowed an amused green as he led her to a desk.

She looked at him incredulously. "This is your library? A desk."

He reached out and knocked a vase off of the object currently in discussion, which she caught before it fell to the floor. "No, it is not," he informed her as a door opened in the wall.

He led her in, through a dark tunnel and up several sets of staircases, where they walked through a door and-

"Wow..." she murmured in amazement. It echoed through the somehow well-lit room: "Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow."

It was huge, two stories, and every wall crammed with books. "What? How? When?" she stuttered.

"This room has been here for hundreds of years, but I turned it into a library only shortly after my arrival here, so many years ago. I use it as a place to keep these books safe from the king's crazy "sell-everything-worth-anything" stints," he explained, then led her past bookcase after bookcase.

"I have books on magic, power, evil, good, hate, love, history, literature, poetry, art, fighting, peace, even some cookbooks."

"You saved cookbooks?" she asked him in disbelief.

He shrugged, and with a smile in his voice, replied, "I could not bear the thought of a world without cookies."

"The great and powerful Meta Knight cares about cookies?" she muttered, but he cleared his throat and looked at her in a way that said 'shut up.' "Yes, sir," she sighed.

"I also have books on what we need to know. Let us see... 'The Prophecies of the Star Warriors.' Kirby and I are both in there, you may be too," he muttered, pulling it out and handing it to her. "'Threats to Dreamland.' I do not think you would be in there, but..." He pulled it out too.

They went on this way, until, with around fifteen books piled high over her head, he sat them both down at a table and handed her one. She looked at him in confusion. "Um, I can't read."

He stared at her. "You cannot?"

She shook her head. "Servants aren't supposed to be smart. They get 'ideas.' Woooooo!" she murmured creepily, waving her hands around like a ghost. Settling down, she announced, "I like being able to talk."

He looked at her, his eyes still green in amusement, but they quickly returned to his normal yellow. "All right, then," he sighed, picking up a book. She waited as he read, looking at the paintings on the wall. At one point she opened a book, causing a sneezing fit from the dust inside.

"You really need some Waddle Dees to dust down here," she coughed after the sneezing had ended. Glancing over at him, she was astonished to notice he seemed to look... fearful. Running back to the desk as quick as she could, she questioned, "What is it?" Then, scared, "Am I a badguy?"

"No," he muttered. "It is not you who is the 'badguy,' although you are very much involved. Here, read this."

She glared at him. "Seriously?"

"Oh, yes. Sorry. I will read it." After clearing his throat, he began, "'Not many years after Kirby comes to our land, a terrible storm will occur. During this storm, a Waddle Dee will be given the powers of a Star Warrior. She will be the only female Waddle Dee that will ever be.

"'This Waddle Dee will carry on her shoulders a huge responsibility. A great monster, full of power, is the one who will give her these abilities, through a rock sent by him through space. It is her task to weaken him, but she will never destroy him.'"

She gulped. "Erm... I think you've got the wrong Waddle Dee."

He looked up at her for a second, emotionless, then returned to the book. "I do not see any other Star Warrior-like Waddle Dees anywhere," he muttered to her. Then, continuing, "'She will not be alone. She will have three friends to help her.'" He closed his eyes and thought. "Kirby, myself, and the king, probably.

"'She will have a time of peace to be trained by the one who wields Galaxia.'" He rolled his eyes. "I know that knights are not ever supposed to be jealous, but I find it annoying that Kirby and my sword are mentioned by name, whereas I never am.

"But, as I was saying. 'After this peace, the monster will come, and Dreamland will be cast into darkness such as it has never known. This Kirby Dee, or Super Dee, as some will call her; will be our only hope.'"

"This isn't fun anymore," she whispered. He looked up at her and saw the expression of sheer terror on her face.

He slammed shut the book. "You will be able to do this," he told her comfortingly, reaching across the desk and patting her hand gently. She looked out one of the huge windows and noticed that the storm had ended, and the full moon was out, bathing the land in a soft light. Thousands upon thousands of twinkling stars dotted the deep blue sky, which was the same color as Meta Knight's Dimensional Cloak, she observed in her head. She had always been very observant of tiny details like that.

"Where does the light in here come from, when it's so dark outside?" she suddenly inquired.

"Magic," he whispered. He chortled quietly as her eyes grew wide. "It is very late. Rest. I will return in the morning, and our training will begin."

After he had left, she lay down on a couch, and almost all of the light instantly disappeared. But she couldn't sleep after the day's excitement, so she got up. Being followed by a sphere of soft light, she pulled out a thin, simple looking book. She sat down and opened it with a sigh of determination. Then, using the few phonics skills she had from listening to Meta Knight's lessons with Kirby, she began to sound out a few simple words, one at a time.