Stardust in the Spectrum: A Story About Kirby

Chapter 6

Energy drained from my hunched form as I let out a huff. I narrowed my eyes at the tree branch above me, the bark no longer dark. Whispy Woods is always an  easy opponent to defeat, although that tree tends to be rather annoying with those exploding apples. All I had to do was knock them back at the tree before they hit the ground. The breeze felt cool against my skin as I stood up after hearing the patter of footsteps. “Kirby! Sir Meta Knight, Sword, and Blade dug up something in the place you dueled at!” My shoulders grew tense at the information, worry becoming an anchor in my chest immediately. The boy turned around when his sister walked up to us, her meadow green hues shimmering with slight worry. “Yeah, you definitely gotta check it out. Who knows what dangers that crown could bring.” Oh stars, not again. I nodded at them to lead the way, hoping that the crown wasn’t the one I was thinking of. A trio of three swordsmen stood near a small crater, the wind sweeping up any dust among the rubble. I noticed the king and his right-hand exchanging glances at whatever crown was glinting under the sun inside the shallow crater. Breathing out a puff of air, I stepped towards the edge of the hole- standing still when I saw gold lining and a taunting ruby in the center. So it is the Master Crown… but who took it away from Landia? I decided to speak, hollow blue eyes darting up to meet the group. “Was the crown lost or purposely placed here?” Meta nodded at my inquiry. “We had to unearth the crown, so it was most likely placed here on purpose. The only matter is finding out the origin of the crown and whoever placed it here.” I hummed in acknowledgement, line of vision flickering over to King Dee’s voice. “Well it’s just a crown now, ain’t it? The crown itself can’t be dangerous, it’d be whoever put the thing here that we’d have to worry about.” Murmurs of agreement came from the others as the king’s right-hand drew close to the edge of the crater. “Why don’t we take the crown out and get a closer look at it, then?” Quickly, I dashed in front of him and put my arm out. Escargoon blinked at me in surprise, raising a brow. “Hold on a moment. Let’s not be quick to draw conclusions about the crown.” The lead swordsman piped up from behind me as I turned my head to face him. “Kirby is right, we shouldn’t assume something about the crown without any evidence.” Tuff spoke as he drew closer to us, casting a glimpse at the golden object. “But how could a crown possibly be dangerous?” His sister nodded along with his words. “Yeah, it’s just an object!” King Dee scoffed in reply, although curiosity was laced throughout his tone. “I agree with the kids on this one. What sorta danger could a crown possibly bring- does it have a spell or something on it?” The king’s right-hand shook his head. “Even a spell sounds ridiculous. Who would bury a crown that actually holds some sort of power, anyways?” Meta spoke up, a white gloved hand gripping the edge of his royal blue cape. “A trickster, that’s who. They can be dangerous, and have many moves up their sleeve.” Sword joined the caped knight’s side as Blade nodded in agreement. “I’d say we approach with caution.”  Ignoring the rest of the argument unfolding, I tore my gaze to the crown in question. The golden object glistened underneath the blazing sun, the bright red ruby in the center as daunting as a smile of wry. The crown itself is the one with the twisted tricks, not whoever has it. I blinked to clear any old memories of the crown’s possessive nature from my mind. Tiff’s voice caused my head to snap upwards to meet her questioning gaze. “Kirby, what are your thoughts on this strange crown? You haven’t really spoken since we arrived here.” Everyone’s attention snapped towards me now, their gazes curious. Thanks for pointing that out, Tiff. Biting back a sigh, my sight landed on the crown again. The Master Crown… what a fitting name. “Rather than worrying about the crown, I believe we should focus on finding whoever buried it here.” I lifted my gaze to catch Meta nodding in agreement at my statement. Fortunately, everyone else seemed to settle on that idea as well. King Dee shrugged after taking another half-hearted glance at the crown. “Sounds like a plan, doesn’t bother me none, anyhows.” After a brief nod, Escargoon followed the king back to the castle. The two children hurried along with them after casting one last glimpse at us. Meta, Sword, and Blade left after exchanging a farewell to me. I kept my gaze on the crown, shadowed blue eyes narrowed. That despicable object. Shouts of betrayal and tears from loss invaded my thoughts. I shook my head to clear those faded memories, refusing to acknowledge the distant burning of a long thin scar across my collarbone. At least Mags came back and apologized. Although it was the crown that took control of his body and actions after he placed it on his head. I casted a glare at the possessive object before taking my leave, making sure to cover it back up with several rocks. A hawk flew over the setting sun, wings tinted red at the tips from the orange glow. I paused for a moment, catching a glimpse of the crown glinting beneath the dirt. Teeth clenched, shaded blue eyes narrowed as I grasped the golden object. After tucking the unfaithful crown in my mailmag, I turned towards the automobile shop in town. Determination settled within my eyes, the strength akin to a burning flame. It’s time to find another starship and get this crown back to where it belongs. Sunlight blazed above the shrouding clouds like a candle in the wind. The cursed crown became a ridden ember against my mailmag, driving me to hurry in getting it far away from here.