Stardust in the Spectrum: A Story About Kirby

Chapter 5

Dear Journal, 
I’m currently in the hospital as of right now, fortunately I was able to regain movement of my limbs earlier this morning. The ticking of the clock is the liveliest thing in here at the moment… well, that and the footsteps walking past my door every so often. I haven’t written in this old thing for some time- suppose that’s what happens when you get trapped in a parallel universe. Admittedly, I was the one who jumped in that portal in the first place, but I didn’t expect the portal to close right after. You know what’s funny, though? I just realized that my friends were right- recklessness really does thrive within me. I wonder if the people from this universe perceive my alternate self the same way. Also, there just so happens to be rosebuds outside my window. The leaves are still damp with rainwater from last night. I wonder if there’s any blue roses around here… if so, I’ll certainly have to check them out after I get out of this hospital. Considering my body is wrapped head-to-toe in bandages, that may take a while. At least the ringing in my head has finally stopped. So I have to thank the doctors for that. They seemed to be worried when they discovered that some of the burns weren’t recent. When they questioned me, I told them that I’ve been through many battles, so it was bound to happen at some point. I just hope they didn’t tell anyone else their discovery. Well, at least I- hold on. I hear the king’s voice outside my door… but why is he here? Aren’t we enemies in this universe? Well, guess I’ll find out soon enough.

The door clicked open, causing my head to snap up after I shoved my journal under the pillow. The king shuffled his feet, slowly walking in and closing the door quietly. Concern reflected in his eyes as he made his way over. I tilted my head at his unusually toned down nature. Did something happen, or…? King Dee flicked his sight towards me. “So… how have ya been?” Alright, something’s up. Clearing my throat, I met his borderlining somber gaze. “I’ve been well enough. Is anything the matter?” He raised a brow at me, seemingly unsurprised that I immediately dismissed my own well being in favor of someone else’s. The king let out a quiet huff, his breath sounding akin to a wallowing sigh. “Figured you’d get the notion that there’s something going on right away.” Pausing for a brief moment, he clocked his gaze towards the window. “Well, Meta Knight told me not to let ya know yet- but I know you’re gonna find out eventually.” His focus switched back to me as I sent him a nod to continue. I noticed how his shoulders were tense the whole time, causing my own posture to straighten in anticipation. Wariness rippled in his dark teal eyes as he gave the reason for why he came here. “That portal ya came through opened back up in the forest.” My lips fell partly open in shock as the king’s line of vision went to the clock on the wall. “Now I don’t want ya to be trying to rush outta here as soon as possible. You need healing, Kirby.” I furrowed my brows, staring at the bandages on my arms as if willing them to vanish. King Dee must have taken notice, if the brief chuckle was anything to go by. My sight flickered back up to meet his half-amused gaze. “Am I just supposed to wait until the portal vanishes again, then?” He shrugged at my inquiry, letting out a sigh before replying. “I’m honestly not sure about that. All we do know is that ya need some more time to heal.” His voice became more firm as his eyes hardened slightly. “Whether you want to put yourself in more danger or not.” My shoulders slumped as I breathed out a silent huff. “Right… because a star warrior is meant to stay still when their universe could be in danger.” His hardened stare loosened as he sighed. “I know that the first thing ya want to do is go back to your universe and make sure everything’s okay. I’d bet a million bucks that’s the first thing anyone would want to do if they were in your shoes. But the reality of the situation is… well, you don’t even know what universe that portal could send ya back to.  Secondly, it’s best to heal up here first.” His eyes narrowed at me once more. “And I don’t know about anyone else, but I have a strong feeling that you’ll refuse to get proper healing as soon as you get back to your universe. The fact that you’re always worrying about others is proof of that.” My eyes rested on the white sheets, unable to meet his gaze. Well, suppose I know the answer to my earlier question. The people I know from this universe know of my recklessness too. Is it that easy to tell? I barely acknowledged the king’s drawn-out sigh through my thoughts until a hand rested on my shoulder. I glanced back up at him. “Listen, I’m not trying to sound harsh or anything… I’m just concerned for your well being. Someone has to be, right?” Yeah, someone has to be able to see through my weaknesses and dig down the truth of my stubbornness. My voice came out as a meek whisper. “Suppose so.” His grip tightened slightly, letting out another sigh and patting my shoulder before withdrawing his hand. “Yeah… anyhows, I should be getting back to the castle. Or else the others might assume that I’ve told ya something. I’ll see you later.” I cast him a nod, with him returning the gesture as he turned and stepped out the door. Taking out my journal from where I hastily tucked it underneath the pillow, my blank eyes stared at the cover. I flicked my sight towards the setting sun through the opened curtains. Catching a glimpse of early stars in the sky, I stored my notebook in the bedside table’s drawer. The moon came out rather quickly after doing so. The linen sheets felt cold to the touch as I fell asleep.

Dear Journal, 
I ended the last entry rather quickly yesterday. Although I never opened it back up that night due to… something I found out. While the information was rather unsettling, I’ve seen things worthy of a much worse description. Just my luck, is it not? That star-forsaken portal showed up right after I was able to move my limbs again. While I’m still stuck in this hospital. Well, considering Nova never held an ounce of mercy towards me, it’s not too surprising something this unfortunate would happen. The only thing I’ve been able to do as of late is listen to the door hinges creak and stare at the clouds from the window. Sounds like fun, right? Yeah, it’s the exact opposite. I’m not sure if any of the doctors noticed the large burn scar on the back of my neck. Perhaps not, since my hair is long enough to cover it. The only haircuts I’ve ever had were when it got sliced off during a rough battle. Hey, at least it’s free. Actually, when I told Mags this he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. So I guess my jokes aren’t that great. Figures. Well, disregarding that useless information- there’s a knock at my door. Lovely, another interruption.

I was able to sneak my journal into the bedside drawer before the door squeaked open. The head surgeon stepped into the room, her clipboard and pen in hand. “How are you feeling today?” I responded with the most convincing smile I could muster. “I’m doing quite well, thank you. Do you know when I would be able to take my leave? The pain has completely subsided, and I have full mobility of my limbs now.” She nodded, humming as she jotted down a few notes. “Yes, I had a feeling that was the case considering the morning nurse saw you standing near the window yesterday. So you’re wondering when you would be able to leave...” My smile faltered for all but a second as I awaited her answer. She breathed out a quiet sigh as she looked at my straightened posture and pleading eyes. “Well, if you truly are no longer feeling any more pain- and you can walk without any help…” The head surgeon glanced at the clock on the wall before turning back to me. “Then I suppose you can leave as early as today.” Oh, thank the stars above. I beamed at her as my smile grew brighter.  “Really, when?” She walked over and handed me a paper and a pen. “As soon as you sign this document. Be sure to answer truthfully.” I nodded, thanking her before glancing at the paper and starting to read. After signing it, I handed the paper back as she looked it over. With a nod, she stepped out of the room after telling me to follow her. I did so with anticipation running through my veins. Stars, is the sun brighter out here. A red leather mailbag was firmly clutched within my grasp, keeping my two notebooks safe. It’s a good thing I was able to thank that nurse for giving it to me on the way out. I breathed in the fresh air, feeling the summer breeze rip past my skin. I began my walk out of the town, picking up pace once nobody was in sight. I scanned the wooded area for a strange portal, only to halt once I caught sight of Whispy Woods. Or namely, the dark vines curling around the trunk. One sentence remained in my churning thoughts, breathing held still. Dark Matter exists in every dimension and every universe. I grit my teeth, widowed blue eyes narrowing at the very thing that crashed the starship I used to escape my birth planet. The dark creatures that have taken over so many planets and controlled so many minds. A large swirling mass gathered around the center of the bark, a single eye appearing in the middle of the tar-like substance. The pupil shrunk as it stared at my form, before sinking into the bark. Not a moment later, the entire tree became a dark shell of its former self. I raised a brow at the eye just behind the leaves on the upper trunk. Really, this again? The ground rumbled beneath the wilting blades of grass as the tree lost any remaining good will. The eye glared.