Heroes of Dreamland, Book 5: Nintendo World: The Fate of All Worlds (OLD)

...In All The Wrong Places

Meta Knight's POV:

With a groan, I blink my eyes open. The first thing I notice is that it is very hot and bright out, wherever I am. Slowly, I sit up, then also observe that I seem to have landed in one of Nightmare's galactic dumping grounds, as I am surrounded by tons of trash.

My wings are still out, which I find strange. Why did they not return to being a cloak? No matter, it makes more sense to leave them out for the time being, in case I need to fly away quickly from something.

My gloves are gone, and I do not see them anywhere around me. No matter, in a moment I can get a spare pair out of my cloak. I can live with just paws for now.

After looking around myself some more, I still do not recognize this place at all, and believe you me, I have been very many places in my time. "Where in the Shotzo am I?" I murmur, then jump as I remember that Kirby and Bandana Dee were with me, among several others. After a moment's frantic searching, I find them both safe, hiding from the heat under a cardboard box. "There you two are. Are you both all right?"

"Yeah, Meta Knight," Kirby reassures me, and Bandana nods in agreement. "But this place is pretty scary."

"How do you mean? I have not noticed anything particularly frightening," I frown at him.

Seeming frightened, Kirby explains, "Well, for one thing, I can't inhale. I don't know why. So I tried swallowing a pebble to copy the ability, but it didn't work, either. And I can't puff up and float! I have no idea what's going on!"

"Are you all right, Bandana Dee?" I ask him. He just nods again. "Why do you not speak?"

"He can't again," Kirby shrugs sadly. "And Meta Knight, you might want to look at yourself in a puddle or something."

"Why?" I frown, then turn and look at my reflection in a silver-colored metal garbage can. "What in the Shotzo?!?" I gasp, then groan. For some reason, you can see that my eyes are white, even though I have the mask on. It is letting light through, and it is not supposed to do that.

Then, I find a new reason to panic. "Where is Galaxia?!?" I demand from no one in particular, as I begin shoving things around, desperately trying to find my sword.

"It's right here," Kirby assures me, picking it up from beside him and handing it to me. "You had it out for the star-map, remember? The hole sucked it up along with us, and thankfully it came with us."

"But where are the others?" I ask as I accept the sword, then try to sheathe it, soon finding myself with a broken sheath when I put the sword in and the point goes right through the other side. "Why will the blade not disappear?"

With a nervous frown, Kirby tells me, "We haven't seen anybody else. Not Link, or Mario, or Luigi, or Ash, or Pikachu, or anybody. This place is so weird, Meta Knight poyo. I have no powers, Bandana has no speech... At least you still have your wings."

"That is true," I sigh, deciding that we are momentarily safe enough for me to return them to being a cloak. But when I will them to change, nothing happens. "This is so strange... It is as if anything that relies on magic no longer works..."

"That's probably not good. But my powers aren't magic!" Kirby points out with an annoyed huff. "Why can't I use my powers?"

Experimentally, I try to inhale, something I have not done in years. Nothing happens, I cannot get my vacuum to turn on. "That is very strange, indeed," I frown even deeper. "Something is very wrong with this place."

"Yeah," Kirby shivers.

Suddenly, there is a growl. I spin around to see a monster that looks like a child of Wolfwrath, only with floppy ears and golden-colored fur. "Stay back!" I shout at it, pointing Galaxia at it.