Sakura Dee|さくら•ヂィー

It takes us about another hour of flight to make it to the edge of Whispy Woods. We keep going for another fifteen minutes or so, until we reach a deeper, thicker area close to the river that flows through the center of the Woods— with all those storm clouds bubbling up on the horizon, I don't want to be somewhere where the trees are sparsely grouped and any one of them makes for an inviting lightning target, especially when everything's so dry and anything not close to the river could easily go up in flames all thanks to just one stray bolt of lightning. Once I spot a thicket of still-deep-green trees all grouped closely together, making a sort of leafy roof, we land in a nearby clearing and enter the thicket on foot.

It's not quite sunset yet, so we're all a bit sad to have to set up camp somewhere so dim and sunless, especially since there's no telling when we'll get to see the sun again. Once again, I feel sad for Meta Knight— I understand why he's so suspicious and on-edge, but you'd think even he could have enjoyed the weather today, since we have no idea when we'll get to have a nice day like this again. Probably not until after we've defeated the monster, wherever it's hiding.

It's not hard at all to find dry wood nearby, thanks to the lack of rain, and so I have the kids make a game out of tearing up a small patch of grass while I head away from the river a ways and collect wood and kindling to build a fire with. When I come back about ten minutes later, the kids have even built a little stone ring around the dirt patch, using damp stones from the riverbank. In the cheeriest voice I can manage, I thank them for their help and start building the fire, while the two of them head back down to the river under the pretense of Kirby grabbing the Water Ability just in case the fire gets out of hand. More likely, they just want to play in the water before it gets dark out. I tell them to be back before sundown, and to come back right away if they see any lightning at all.

The fire starts easily enough, and when the kids bring back a couple of fish that they caught using vines, sharp stones as hooks, and worms as bait, we actually end up having our first hot meal in over a week. I'm even able to find some tubers not far away that I recognize from a book as being non-poisonous, so we end up having a sort-of rough fish and chips dinner. It's not fine dining by any means, but it's the best we've had in over a week, like I said. Either way, when the fire begins to die down some and the world grows dark (with the clouds still slowly spreading from the horizon) an hour or so later, the two kids are able to fall asleep under a tree with full stomachs.

While the kids were still awake and goofing around like they usually do, it was easy for me to keep my mind off of things. But now that they're asleep and I have a long night of being the only one here to keep watch stretched out in front of me, any pretense of happiness quickly disappears. I still feel just awful about earlier. I still don't know what got into me, when I told Meta Knight that my name isn't Sakura. It doesn't make any sense to me, even now. I like my name; a lot, actually. And I definitely didn't mean it the way he took it... but how could I ever explain that when even I don't know how I meant it?

Sighing heavily, I hug my thin cape around myself as the night grows chillier (it's absolutely beautiful and easily the coolest thing I've ever owned, second only to the Cherry Star Sword, but it's worth nothing when it comes to warmth, it seems). The summer's been unusually cool this year, probably thanks to the clouds that keep blocking out the sun. At least they're not having a blanket effect and making everything hotter than normal. The lack of humidity's probably helping with that, I guess.

Making a face at my boring weather-related thoughts, I try to think about other things, but keep ending up back at how bad I feel about earlier, and how worried I am that Meta Knight won't come back. Most of me understands that his sense of honor and duty will keep him from being away for too long, but I'm still afraid that I've really done it this time and that he'll never come back. At the same time, I'm even more afraid that he will come back, but that he'll be angry at me forever. Unfortunately, that outcome seems way more likely than any other.

I just wish I knew what was wrong with me. Ever since the night in the cave, I haven't really felt like myself. I can't even remember what happened after the first nightmare, but I remember how painful it was and how terrified it made me feel. And the worst part is the fact that even though I've accepted that the first nightmare was just that, a nightmare, I can't convince myself of the same about the later part. Whatever it was, it was real, I know that much. I don't know how I know, but I do. And, of course, that just makes it all the more frightening.

Shuddering again, I scoot just a bit closer to the softly-crackling small fire, as if it can guard against upsetting thoughts. I wish Meta Knight was here, even if he would just be angry at me forever. I don't like not having him around; it makes me nervous. Sure, the kids and I are all good fighters and would be able to protect ourselves, I guess, but none of us have the kind of experience or strategy that Meta Knight has. Without him, we're much weaker than we would be otherwise. So much weaker that if we meet the Lightning on our own, without the prophesied fourth hero... Ugh, I don't even want to think about it.

Okay. I really need a way to distract myself. Making a face, I think hard for a moment about what I could do, and then remember the book I accidentally took out of Meta Knight's cape right before he... well, vanished. Glancing at the fire, I decide that it's bright enough to read by, and so I pull the book out from my cape and look at its cover. It's a rather plain-looking book, with the title simply embossed on, nothing fancy about it. Kirby's Dream Land & Co.: Profiles. Now that I actually have the time to think about it, the title is kinda intriguing. Is this some kind of prophesy book? Well, only one way to find out, I guess.

I open the book somewhere close to the middle, only for everything to start getting really, really weird. A stack of several small... uh... I think the word is 'screens' comes floating out of the book, and then the screens all float out above the book until they're all over the place. It's like having a bunch of TVs on right in front of me, only with only the part that has the picture on it, and no box to hold it. Scared, I slam the book shut, and the screens all vanish.

The kids stir underneath the tree, but I just stare down at the... 'not-book.' Whatever this is, it's definitely not a book. Taking a deep breath, I carefully open it again, and this time, I inspect the screens as they appear.

One of them reads 'Contents,' so I furrow my brow at that one, wondering how to use this thing. Apparently the book understands that I want to go there, because that screen grows bigger than the others and floats to the center, where it expands even further into a giant list of names all starting with 'A.' Again, the instant I wonder if there's more to the list, it starts scrolling down. The 'A's continue for several minutes, until we finally get to the 'B's. And then, after a moment, I freeze when I see a name I actually kinda recognize—

"Bandanna Waddle Dee," I whisper under my breath in surprise.

The name expands and takes over the screen, and then turns into a long, long file all about Bandanna Dee, starting at the very moment he appeared on the 'Birthday' that happened several years ago. Curious, I begin scrolling through the file as fast as I can, wondering where this little bio ends. Suddenly, though, I realize that it's not just a summarized bio, and that it's anything but little— it's an entire record of Bandanna's life. And an instant after that, I've gotten to the point in the file where we are now, to the Monstrous Lightning quest, and then the book starts flashing red at me and warning me that my 'corruption' level is too high.

Panicking, I slam the book shut again, heart racing. What in Dreamland does it mean by 'corruption?' Is my reading this book somehow evil or something?

After a long moment, I carefully open the book again and go back into the 'Contents' screen. Okay, whatever I do, I have to be careful and not go past the present, obviously. But who wrote this book? Who knew everybody's lives' stories well enough to be able to make this not-book about them, who knows how long ago?

I scroll through the 'B's past several names that mean nothing to me— 'Baika,' 'Binder,' 'Blipper,' and 'Bouncy' are a few of the ones that jump out at me as I scroll quickly past— and keep going through the alphabet— past 'Dedede' and 'Escargoon' in the 'D's and 'E's— until I finally reach 'K.' Sure enough, close to the middle of the 'K's, sits 'Kirby, Warrior of the Stars, The.'

"Hoo boy," I whisper to myself, but then get curious. Rather than open Kirby's... 'story,' I guess I'll call it, I skip ahead to the 'S's and search for myself. There're several people named Sakura, so I doubt I'll be able to find myself. Just to be safe, I check for 'Sakura Dee.' There's no results there. With a sigh, I wish to myself that I could narrow them down to see if there're any 'Sakura's who are Waddle Dees. Of course, the book responds to that wish right away, assuring me that there are no Waddle Dees by that name. A hunt for 'Kirby Dee,' and then for any girl Waddle Dees at all, also both come up just as empty.

Feeling kinda surprised that I'm not in here anywhere when it seems like everyone else in the Galaxy is, and also somehow kinda sad, I almost go to shut the book again, only to suddenly have a niggling idea.

Maybe if I looked at Meta Knight's 'story,' I could figure out what's bothering him; well, besides the dumb stuff I said earlier today, of course. Maybe I could know how to help him then.

In instantaneous answer, the book jumps to his name in the list. 'Meta Knight, Mentor to The Warriors of the Stars, The.' Taking a deep breath, I wonder whether or not I should open it, but then give a firm nod. The instant it opens, I squeeze my eyes shut so I don't read any of his past— that's none of my business, after all— and will it to jump to around a week or so ago, when I first started noticing him seeming so anxious right underneath the surface all the time. When I open my eyes, sure enough, that's where the 'story' has jumped to.

But oddly enough, it all makes it sound like I'm not even here, and haven't ever been here. There's no mention of me anywhere in the piece about the quest to defeat the Monstrous Lightning. Feeling even more confused, I scroll through the 'story' closer and closer to today, only to suddenly notice how little is left of it.

Freezing, I frown to myself as I remember that even once I reached the present in Bandanna's 'story,' it had barely even begun. Of course, I'm much farther into Meta Knight's 'story' than I was into Bandanna's, but still. What I've scrolled through of Meta Knight's already is much, much shorter than what was left of Bandanna's, and yet, there's hardly any left to be scrolled through.

As the 'corruption' warning starts going off again, I will the screen that carries it off to the side and start furiously scrolling through what little is left of the Masked Knight's 'story.' Words jump out at me— 'Lightning,' 'final boss,' 'fought bravely.' And then, suddenly, the words end and the 'page' won't scroll any further. There's no more 'story' to be told.

Set apart from the last paragraph on its own, a single sentence reads, 'Meta Knight died by electrocution in service to Dreamland during the battle with the Monstrous Lightning, when his sword was struck by a giant lightning bolt, on Earlsummer 24th, 831.'

The 'corruption' warning is going berserk in the corner, shaking around all over the place and starting to make some kind of beeping noise go off, but I keep ignoring it and just staring at those words. They're so final, and the fact that they're written in the past tense, as if this was all decided long ago, makes the whole thing so much worse.

Shaking my head in horror, I drop the not-book and take a step back from it, leaving it open on the ground with the 'corruption' warning going absolutely insane, practically screaming at me now. And then, I finally notice how woozy and disoriented I feel. After swaying for a moment, I fall down onto my side next to the fire, which looks to be swimming with seemingly-random light-green letters and numbers all strung together in a way that doesn't make any sense to me. Rubbing my eyes, I cautiously sit up, only to find the letters and numbers crawling over my gloves, swimming through the sky, snaking along the ground. They're everywhere I look. Even Kirby and Bandanna Dee just look like two blobs made up out this weird... code.

A code I can't decipher.

With a cry of terror, I fall backwards, having no idea what's going on and not knowing what to do, as the world starts almost to disintegrate and turn into more and more of the awful, seemingly-meaningless letters and numbers. Finally, something in me has enough sense to drag myself over to the not-book, even though I'm so dizzy I can't even tell up from down, and heave it shut with a final burst of strength before I begin to drown in the swimming code.

After that, I guess I must pass out, because everything is black. When I come to, everything's back to normal, and all of the letters and numbers are gone. The campfire is still quietly burning not far away, assuring me that hardly any time has passed, and Kirby and Bandanna are still peacefully snoozing under the tree, despite my screams and the keening wails of the book and its 'warning.' Gasping for air, I push myself waveringly up into a sitting position, and then stare at the closed not-book on the ground before shaking my head in fear and scooting back away from it a few feet.

The not-book shows no reaction. If I didn't know better, I'd guess it was just a simple book.

Finally, I slowly go over and gingerly poke at it with my toe, being careful not to open it. When nothing happens, I cautiously pick it up and stuff it in my cape, bound and determined to never open the dreadful thing again.

And then, now that the one disaster's been avoided, the fear of the next returns to my heart. From what I saw of Bandanna Dee's 'story,' this book was right about everything it said. And if it really is right about everything... then in just a few days... Meta Knight will die.

The thought is enough to make me want to burst into tears, but I don't let myself. It's not the time to start crying; there's things to be figured out. Meta Knight can't die. I have to find a way to prevent it, no matter what. Such a great hero does not deserve such a simple, awful end.

In a heartbeat, though, my thoughts turn elsewhere as suddenly, everything makes sense. No wonder Sir Knight's been so anxious and edgy lately. This is his book, so I'm sure he knows what it says about him... I'm sure he knows that according to it, he's about to die. He thinks this is going to be his final quest, and that at the end of it, he's going to die. And this whole time, the other three of us have just been goofing off like it's some kind of grand adventure that we'll all go home from when it's over. No wonder he's been so irritated at us. No wonder he's been so irritated at me.

It takes everything in me not to start sobbing from all the guilt and anger I feel, but still, I somehow manage. It's not time to cry, not yet. It's time to plan, to figure out a way to keep any of that from happening. But when I realize that today was probably the last sunny day he'll ever see if this book turns out to be right, I can't hold everything back any longer. I manage to stay silent, but hot tears of anger and fear start streaming down my face.

Meta Knight can't die now. He just can't. Dreamland will still need him for many years to come, just like it needs Kirby and Bandanna Dee. There's got to be a future for the Masked Knight. This just can't really be the end.

But then, a sliver of hope breaks through when I remember that his 'story' forgot to account for one important variable— me. The book assumed that only Kirby, Meta Knight, and Bandanna Dee were there for the quest, not me. As far as I can tell, the book doesn't even know that I exist. Maybe that's why Meta Knight only found the one prophecy about me, the prophecy of the Kirby Dee. Maybe sometime, somewhere in the past, somebody saw this book and decided to change the 'story,' decided to give the Masked Knight a second chance, and that's why I was added in as a hero, a hero for whom only one quest was foretold.

One quest only, and one which could not end in her own victory— 'She will weaken him, but never destroy him.'

I'm the variable that was introduced to give the 'story' a different ending. Somebody will probably still have to die the day we face the Lightning, but it's not going to be Meta Knight. No ifs about it. I don't care if it means I have to die in his place.

Meta Knight is not going to die at the hands of the Monstrous Lightning.

Somehow, even though I guess I should probably feel terrified, I don't. Instead, I feel resigned. Maybe it's a good thing I made Sir Knight so mad today. Maybe it's a good thing that he probably hates me now. That way, he won't be upset when I do what I have to do to save his life.

What kind of life could I have had, anyway, even if I did survive? I'm just a freak of nature, a Waddle Dee who can't even be a good Waddle Dee. And if there was only one quest for which I was destined, it's not like I could have kept being a hero, anyway. I probably would have ended up just working for Dedede again once all was said and done. Where else could I have gone? I don't have anywhere to belong or any kind of purpose in this world— or in any other world of the Galaxy, for that matter. I exist for one reason, and one reason only:

I exist to save the Masked Knight's life.

Thunder rumbles directly overhead, far above the trees, but somehow, I feel no fear. Inside my heart, there's nothing but a strange combination of resolution and resignation. My number's been up since last fall, but I got several extra months more than I ever deserved. I got to make friends. I got to learn how to read. I got to learn how to use a sword and how to be a hero. I even got to fly.

Above all else, I got to have my dearest wish come true: I got to have a voice, with which I was able to share my hopes, fears, and ideas with others.

If my life is what I have to pay in exchange for all of this and the knowledge that Meta Knight will get to keep living, then it's far more than fair. It's more than I could have ever hoped for as a lonely Waddle Dee who never quite fit in, who wished on a strange star that maybe her short life would one day have some kind of meaning.

My eyes still brimming with tears, now not out of anger and fear but out of sheer determination and thankfulness, I go to draw my sword and point it to the sky, only to be interrupted by the rustling of a nearby tree. At first I think that maybe it's Meta Knight finally coming back, but then there's a crashing sound, followed by a tiny, muffled, high-pitched yelp of pain and frustration.

Frowning deeply to myself, all thoughts of my destiny replaced with concern for the two kids and their safety against whatever is out there in the Woods, I draw my sword, grab a torch-like stick up out of the fire, and go to investigate.