That night, the small party stopped to rest in a forest. While Tracker lay down under a pine tree and pulled his beret down over his eyes, dozing off soon after, Cherry found herself unable to sleep since her head was far too full of swirling, confused thoughts to allow her to relax.

After watching the stars come out one by one and finding herself rather fond of two stars placed right next each other in one far-off corner of the sky, she sighed and placed the little sakuranoki against a taller oak tree to rest. Even though the oak tree wasn't sentient, it was still a strong, healthy, big tree, and she was hoping that the little one would somehow find that comforting.

For a while, she just sat and stared at the sky, feeling alone. Eventually, though, she decided to quit feeling sorry for herself and actually try to do something useful. So, she got out her notebook and pencil from the inside of her Dimensional Cape and started to draw again.

Again, none of her drawings seemed quite right. It didn't matter how fancy or elaborate the sketch was, it never struck her as being quite right. Giving a growl of discouragement, she flipped the notebook shut and threw it away from her in irritation. It was pointless, anyway. She'd never be able to make a star sword now that she didn't have Galaxia to study and learn from anymore.

With a sigh of sadness, she flew up into the branches of a tree, landed on a big branch, and curled in on herself next to the trunk. After sniffling for a little bit as she thought about what a terrible day it had been, she finally turned her eyes to the stars again, wishing that they could somehow hold the answers that her questioning gaze was searching for.

With no warning, one of the stars seemed to plunge out its place in the sky and started to fly right toward her. At first, she thought it must be a coincidence and continued to watch curiously. When it continued to fly towards her; however, she finally grew nervous and backed closer against the tree, never daring to look away.

After another minute, the star started to hover just in front of her on the branch, still just a tiny pinprick of light even though it should have been a giant ball of fire. It glowed warmly for a moment, then suddenly changed into the shape of a girl Primaean, a species that her dreams had shown her several times before. (A.N.: Remember that Primaean is Fumu and Tuff's species.) Cherry couldn't see the girl's face because she continued to glow too brightly, but she seemed to be a young girl, probably no older than five or six.

"You're sad. Why?"

The being's speaking made poor Cherry jump, almost falling out of the tree to the ground, but luckily, she caught herself by spreading out and then flapping her butterfly wings several times. This made the girl giggle at her, then repeat, "Why are you sad, Fairy?"

Trying to smile, Cherry sat down again and tugged on a strand of her hair like she always did when she was nervous, upset, or anxious. A minute later, the little girl started to copy her, sitting down and pulling on her own hair in the same fashion. At first Cherry thought she was mocking her, but soon she realized that she was just trying to play.

There was a quiet for another second, and then Cherry sighed and replied, "You don't want to have to worry about it. It's nothing."

Shaking her head, the glowing girl disagreed, "No, it's fine. I like it when people talk to me, no matter what it's about. On my planet, we always have to be very quiet, because we don't want the Nightmares to hear us."

Cherry looked at her in confusion. "I didn't know there was a planet where stars lived."

Giggling, the girl explained, "There isn't. I guess I mean my old planet, where I used to live before I became a star."

Feeling sad, Cherry realized that the little star girl was a ghost. "Are all stars like you? I mean, do they all talk and stuff?"

The star girl shook her head again, seeming a little bit sad now. She put her hands in her lap and leaned against the tree in annoyance, giving a small huff. "No. Most of them are asleep and quiet. The only ones who are still awake are the ones who are still missing somebody special to them. Once they join them, then they can sleep. Those are the stars that twinkle the brightest, they're calling to the one they're missing, trying to let them know that they're okay. That's one of the rules of being a star: we're not allowed to go visit or talk to anyone we used to know. We can only come visit people we didn't know before we became stars, like I'm doing with you right now."

Tilting her head, Cherry asked curiously, "Who are you waiting for? If it's not too personal for me to ask, I mean. Also, what's your name, and why'd you come to visit me?"

The star girl seemed to smile, although Cherry couldn't really see it. "My name's Marica, and I'm waiting for my Mama. She's still on Primaea, taking care of my little sister and brother. They're twins.  My sister's name is Garlude (A.N: She's the great-grandmother of the Garlude we know.) and my brother's name is Fisher. They're just babies, and Mama can't come be a star with me yet because she has to take care of them."

Pausing, Marica fiddled around with her skirt like an absent-minded little kid would, then turned to Cherry again. "I really miss all three of them. I watch them all the time, and I try my hardest to twinkle really bright for them so they can have hope, but they never look up and see me. It feels like they don't miss me at all."

Cherry felt sad hearing that. After scooting closer to the little girl and taking her hand in one of her own, she reassured her, "It's not that they don't miss you. It's probably because they miss you so much that it's really hard for them to look up and see the stars." Looking away, she sighed, "I know that my mother and father are stars now, too, but it's still hard to look up at the sky when you're sad."

Marica sniffled and shook her head. "Maybe, but I still wish my Mama would look up and see me. It would help me miss her less." Then, she suddenly seemed to grin. "I don't want to be sad, I want to be happy, so I will be. Anyway, I came to visit you because I saw you crying, and I didn't want you to have to cry by yourself, so I came to be your friend."

Smiling at her, Cherry replied, "Thank you, Marica. That's really sweet of you."

Marica giggled again. "My Mama always told me I was as sweet as sugar." For a moment, the little star girl was quiet, and when she spoke again, she was serious again. "I don't remember why I became a star. I can remember waking up that morning and going to school, but after that, there's nothing. I just remember waking up in the sky that afternoon, and getting to glow for the first time. It was really exciting and fun at first, but then I saw Mama crying. Then it wasn't fun anymore. But once Mama started to be okay again, everything got better again. And now, I'm just waiting for my Mama to come be a star with me so we can both glow together."

With a sigh, Cherry told her, "I look forward to when I can become a star and be with my family again. I really miss them."

Again, Marica seemed to smile, this time brighter than ever before. "They miss you too, I bet, but it's not time for you to be a star just yet. I can tell. You will be someday, just not for a long time. For now, you have a lot to do, Fairy."

Laughing at the young one's enthusiasm, the Fairy demanded, "Oh yeah? Like what?"

Shaking her head, Marica giggled teasingly, "I can't tell you. You get to find out for yourself, that's what makes it fun." For a second, the star girl left it at that, but finally she just had to burst and share a little bit. "You're going to find out how to make a star sword soon, even if you can't look at the other one anymore. Trust me, it's going to be really cool when you do." With that, the little star girl took off of the branch again, turning back into a little dot of pure starlight. "Bye, Fairy. May your days be filled with Light, and may the Star Power guide you!"

And then, she zoomed off into the sky, taking her spot right where she used to be again. As Cherry watched, the little star started to twinkle brightly, refusing to give up her quest to give her Mama hope.

She watched Marica's star for a short while, and then she looked at her parents' stars again. She wondered if they were asleep now that they had each other, or if they were still awake, waiting for her. They didn't seem to be twinkling all that brightly, but she couldn't really tell.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and finally let herself doze off.

*************************************************************************

"Kirisakin... I see that you have not failed me. Very good, minion," that same cold voice from the other day purred not far from where Cherry stood.

Shivering, she turned around and forced herself to watch what was happening. There stood that clawed beast from the dream she had just the night before, although it really felt like it must have been at least several nights before, since so very much had taken place since then. The Lord of Nightmares was also still there, still hidden by the darkness he seemed to always surround himself with.

In between the beast's razor-sharp fangs was the stolen star sword, which was currently shooting off lightning angrily, but the beast seemed to be unaffected. The sword was glowing blue, showing that it was so hot that should have melted, but being a star sword and therefore much stronger than any normal golden sword, it didn't. Unceremoniously, the beast spat Galaxia out onto the floor, then sheathed his sword-like claws and sat down on the cold steel floor.

"I have done as you asked, m'lord," he growled in the same awful voice as last time. "The sword is yours." He sounded respectful, but at the same time, there was a strange edge to his voice. It made it seem like he was expectantly awaiting something, as if he knew something that his master didn't.

The Lord of Nightmares waited a minute until the sword had cooled enough to be its normal golden color again, then prepared to reach for it. "M'lord," Kirisakin suddenly warned him, still with the same edge to his voice, "it's still very hot, even if it is only gold now. We wouldn't want you to burn yourself, oh Great One, now would we?"

"Quiet, fool," the Dark being growled at his subordinate in reply, then chuckled in an almost-fond fashion as he reached for the sword and purred at it again. "Ah, Galaxia. Finally I can make your acquaintance. You have no idea how long I have awaited this day." A gigantic dark gray, wrinkled hand with long, spindly, gnarled fingers reached out of the darkness and towards the sword. "Now, with your power, the Galaxy will be mine. None will be able to resist my iron rule!"

But just as his pointer finger was about to reach the hilt, the sword started shooting lightning out all over again, changing from gold back to blue in a matter of seconds.

The Lord of Nightmares squawled in pain as he forced himself to pick the sword up, but quickly dropped it again when it was just too much to for him to handle. "I don't understand... I am far stronger than any worthless being that could possibly be considered its 'chosen wielder!' Why can I not control it?!?"

There was a calm laugh, which Cherry urgently searched around for the source of for several seconds until a quiet-yet-awe-inspiring voice spoke, thereby making its source clear.

"My apologies, oh-so-'great' being of darkness and evil, but strength has nothing to do with one's ability to wield me or not. It is a question of worthiness. Only one who is worthy may take hold of my hilt and command the power of my blade."

Eyes growing wide in surprise, Cherry realized that the voice was none other than Galaxia's. The mighty sword, although it had never spoken to her or her father, seemed to have found the dark being worth speaking to, or more accurately, worth mocking.

With a growl of annoyance, the Lord of Nightmares hissed to the sword sarcastically, making air-quotes with his fingers as he spoke, "Oh, so your wielder has to be one who is entirely 'pure in heart,' one who has never fallen to the 'side of darkness,' correct?"

Again, the sword laughed, seeming to be almost pitying of the dark lord. "Of course not. Sadly for you, you are wrong again, oh 'mighty' one. Among mortals, there is no such being. The Warrior of the Stars will come close, but even so, he will not be perfect. No, to be worthy of wielding me, one must only have a firm faith in the Star Power, a willingness to resist every call of Darkness no matter how tantalizing it may be, and the penitence to return to the side of Light even when they have failed. Not many can even claim to have these qualities. There are also many who claim to, and yet do not in reality. And even some who possess these qualities would find themselves unable to wield me simply because that task has not been assigned to them."

Snorting, the dreadful creature muttered in a rather pouty way, "That's not fair. I am far stronger than any pathetic being of Light. There will never be another more worthy of wielding you than I. That isn't fair!"

With a sigh, the sword disagreed impatiently, "You are the being least worthy of wielding me in the Galaxy, although, admittedly, there are others who come quite close. You feel no shame or regret for any of your actions, you never try to repent of your wrongdoing. You, oh Lord of Nightmares, are the greatest evil to ever visit our Galaxy. And you, oh 'great and powerful' being, are doomed to fail. Your greatest 'strength' is naught but weakness when compared to the even a fraction of the strength of my true master, the Star Power. Only those who are deemed worthy by him may I serve."

Hissing angrily, the Lord of Nightmares shrieked, "Lies! Lies! I am the greatest, the strongest! None can compare!" With that, he turned to Kirisakin and ordered in rage, "You may return to your cave and sleep there. But take this useless piece of garbage with you. Kill all who try to take it in the most painful way you can devise." Suddenly, his demeanor grew calm again, and a smirk crept over his face, which Cherry could barely see since he was standing just at the very edge of the darkness now. As the lenses of the dark black sunglasses he wore glinted, he murmured dangerously, "Yes... No one will ever be able to use this sword again. It will never even see the light of day once more before the end of time."

"My chosen wielder will find me, no matter where I am hidden," Galaxia disagreed firmly. "You are doomed to lose, and you know it, whether you will even admit it to yourself or not."

Snickering, the Lord of Nightmares sighed pityingly, then continued, "No, he will never find it. I will make sure of this by one way or another. Perhaps I will prevent him from ever even learning how to use a sword. Perhaps I will make him a minion of my own. Or maybe I'll let him think he has found you, only to destroy him before he can take you. It matters not how I do it, just know that you will never be used as a weapon of Light by any, ever again. Enjoy your stay in Kirisakin's cave, oh-so-'powerful' star sword. You had your chance to be remembered as a tool of terror, now enjoy being doomed to be lost in antiquity and myth."

"Just like you someday will be?" the sword pointed out, the tiniest hint of a smirk in its calm tone. Even Cherry found herself cracking a determined grin at its words.

Again full of rage, the terrible monster shrieked so loudly his voice cracked, "Silence! Silence! Kirisakin, take it away. I never want to see it again."

One last time, Galaxia spoke. This time it was to reassure the Lord of Nightmares of a simple fact: "You never will see me again, at least never in person."

As the dark being roared with anger again and the dream started to disappear, a friendly voice started calling her name: "Cherry... You need to wake up. We need to get moving again. Rippling City's still quite a ways off."

(A.N. Have you ever noticed that whenever MK is the badguy in the games, the sword he wields isn't Galaxia? There might be an example against this that I've missed somewhere, but his original sword in the first several games he was in (always as an enemy) was never Galaxia. In Kirby and the Amazing Mirror, his sword was the Master Sword, which could be Galaxia, but I somehow think it's different. In Super Star/Super Star Ultra, his sword isn't Galaxia during Revenge of Meta Knight, and in Epic Yarn, he uses the evil yarn swords that Yin-Yarn is possessing him with.

The only games (that I can think of, again, I might be missing some,) where he uses Galaxia are Return to Dreamland (where he's a protagonist) and SSBB (where he's also a protagonist.)

So, what I'm getting at is this: whenever he's giving in to his Dark side, he's unable to wield Galaxia. And I definitely agree that there are times in the games where he's not actually a badguy, where he's just training Kirby. I just still sometimes feel like he's still got a bit of a grudge against the younger puffball and is actually trying to defeat him, and therefore Galaxia won't let him wield it at those times.

So... yeah. Probably useless info for you there, but I like really getting deep into the stories, locations, legends, histories, and mythos of the Kirby games and anime. Which is probably most of the reason why I've been able to write over 1000 Microsoft Word pages about them. And probably at least another 1000 over the times to come. XD)