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Kirby and the Amazing Labyrinth Friend Rescue - Chapter 1: Magolor's Request
Kirby closed his eyes, entranced by the massive castella cake before him.
If he opened his eyes again, he wouldn't be able to help himself—he knew he would suck the whole thing up in one go. But a castella cake this large, this delicious, and this high-quality needed to be savored, not squandered in one go. First he would close his eyes, and focus on his sense of smell... After he had fully appreciated the aroma of the castella, then he could start to taste it bite by careful bite...
Kirby opened his eyes, his heart pounding.
"Hurry up and eat me!" the gleaming gold of the castella seemed to say.
"Here I goooo..."
Kirby opened his mouth, drool pooling in anticipation, when suddenly—
"Kirbyyyy! We've got trouble~!"
The door flew open, and Waddle Dee came tumbling in.
Kirby blinked in surprise, his mouth still wide open. "Waddle Dee...?"
"Trouble! We've got trouble, Kirby!"
"Y... Yeah. Sorry, Waddle Dee!" Kirby apologized, feeling slightly guilty. "I wasn't trying to hoard everything for myself. Just, there's only one of these castella cakes..."
"Hurry! Hurry and come with me, Kirby!"
"Chef Kawasaki gave me this... He said it's a prototype for his shop's menu... He said I should try eating it and tell him what I think, so... I... I..."
"I told you, there's trouble afoot! You have to come with me, quickly!"
"It wasn't nice of me to keep it a secret. If something tastes good, it really does just need to be shared... I'm sorry, Waddle Dee! I'm glad you made it in time! I'll split it in half right now..."
"Coooome ooooon! I'm not talking about that!" Waddle Dee grabbed Kirby's hand, pulling him up from his chair.
"Wh... What's going on, Waddle Dee? Are you going to ask Chef Kawasaki for another one?"
"No, I'm not. Someone else showed up!"
"Someone else? The ramen seller? The oden seller?"
"It's not a food truck! Just come with me already!"
"But the castella..."
"Worry about the castella later! Later!"
As Kirby was still dripping with regrets for his castella, Waddle Dee dragged him out by force, running at top speed.
The two of them arrived at the plaza at the base of Mt. Dedede. A familiar, boat-shaped spaceship had landed there. The instant Kirby laid eyes on it, his hunger disappeared immediately.
"Th-That ship... That's the Lor! No way!"
"Yes, way. It's him!" Waddle Dee's expression turned to an uncharacteristic glare as he pointed toward the Lor Starcutter.
Three figures could be seen standing outside of the Lor. One with a conspicuously larger build—King Dedede. Beside him, the masked swordsman, Meta Knight. And in front of them, chattering away avidly...
"Magolor~?!" Kirby cried. Now Kirby was the one dragging Waddle Dee along by force, running at top speed.
Magolor quickly turned around after hearing Kirby's shout, his face all smiles under his hood. "Hey, Kirby! It's been a while! How are you doing?"
"Y... You... Why..." Kirby adopted a defensive posture, glaring at Magolor.
Magolor had put them in an awful position before. For him to show up here in Dream Land, acting like nothing had happened... He had to be planning something, and it wasn't going to be good.
"Why did you come here?! I'm not going to let you have your way anymore! Stay out of Dream Land!"
"You don't understand, Kirby. I'm really, truly sorry about before. This time, I really do need your help! You're my only hope!"
Magolor clasped his hands together, gazing at Kirby. Kirby frowned, shaking his head.
"Nuh-uh. I'm not gonna fall for the same thing twice. I'm never gonna believe anything you say ever again!"
"Don't say that! Please, Kirby... Can't you at least hear me out?" Magolor hung his head, downcast. "The truth is... my friend is in serious trouble."
"..."
"I want to save him as soon as I possibly can. But I can't do it alone! Please, Kirby. Lend me your strength..."
Still, Kirby's hard expression didn't falter.
Meta Knight, who had been quietly listening until this point, opened his mouth to speak. "It seems you embarked on a fool's errand, Magolor. There is no one left here that you can manipulate with your falsehoods. Begone."
"Meta Knight... Don't say that..."
"Are you asking to taste my blade?" Meta Knight gripped the hilt of his legendary sword, Galaxia.
Magolor crouched down, cowering in fear. "Just listen to what I have to say... I want to save my friend! My very closest friend is trapped in the Mirror World labyrinth!"
"...What? Did you say... the Mirror World, labyrinth?" Meta Knight's hand, just on the verge of drawing his sword, suddenly froze.
Magolor looked frantic as he spoke. "You know about it too, right? From those frightful legends... the Dimension Mirror...!"
Kirby, King Dedede, and Meta Knight all exchanged glances. The Dimension Mirror was a sacred mirror from the Mirror World, which floated in the skies above Dream Land. It was said to have the curious power of reflecting and granting people's wishes.
"What's the situation? What happened with the Dimension Mirror?" Meta Knight asked.
Magolor began speaking with exaggerated gestures in response. "That mirror swallowed up my friend! Now he can't leave the Mirror World... I can't stop worrying about him... Please save my friend, Kirby!"
Kirby didn't know how to respond. If Magolor's story was true, he wanted to help. But was it really all right to trust him? After all, Magolor was a smooth talker. Kirby hadn't forgotten the last time he got swept up by Magolor's cajolery, and the bitter experiences that followed.
Neither Meta Knight, nor King Dedede, nor Waddle Dee opened their mouths. As expected, none of them could trust Magolor.
Magolor's voice sounded watery. "...Right... I guess... you won't give me the benefit of the doubt..."
"..."
"It's my fault... But I'm still sad... I can't believe you'd doubt even my feelings for my friend... I thought at least you would understand how I felt, Kirby..."
"...Huh?"
"You're always thinking of your friends. You'd never leave a friend in need alone, would you? Not if someone you loved was in danger." Magolor glanced over at Waddle Dee as he spoke.
Kirby gasped in realization. If Waddle Dee were taken by a bad guy, or if he were suffering, Kirby would do everything in his power to save him. Of course he would face any danger head-on, no matter what it was.
"I feel just the same way. I want to save my beloved friend, whatever it takes...!" Magolor clung to Kirby, looking desperate.
Kirby's resolve wavered.
Magolor may be a chronic liar, but what if his feelings for his friends are the one genuine thing about him? What if he feels the way Kirby does about his companions? Kirby couldn't possibly trample over those feelings.
"...Okay." Kirby nodded.
King Dedede looked stunned. "What are you saying, Kirby? Don't tell me you believe this guy!"
"Yeah. I'm gonna go save Magolor's friend."
"Really?! Hoorayyy! I knew it! I can always count on you!" Magolor jumped for joy.
Worried, Waddle Dee said, "Kirby, you can't just trust him this easily. He might be planning something again."
"It's okay! If it turns out to be a lie, then I'll punish him for it!" Kirby gave Magolor an intimidating look.
Magolor nodded, again and again. "I understand! I've had a change of heart, you know. I won't lie anymore."
"Then let's hurry up and get going. Show me where your friend disappeared."
"Yeah! ...Oh? What about you guys?"
Magolor looked at King Dedede and Meta Knight. Neither of them had dropped their guard, or lessened their glare.
Magolor shrugged. "Kirby's going to help... So aren't you coming too?"
"Hmph! I'm no easy mark like Kirby is. You ain't gonna catch me believing what you say!" King Dedede folded his arms, turning away.
Magolor sighed. "I guess not... That's too bad... Even though my friend is super rich, and generous too..."
"...What?"
"Even though I'm sure he'll give a huge reward to whoever saves his life... and throw a party with a feast straight out of your wildest dreams..."
"A... feast?" King Dedede gulped.
Magolor turned his back to him. "I guess it can't be helped... Kirby will just have to have the whole feast to himself... I wonder if he can even finish it on his own...?"
"I can finish it~! No matter how big the feast is, I could get it down in one gulp! Don't worry, Magolor!" Kirby did a twirl in midair, eyes sparkling. His lingering misgivings flew away the moment he heard the word "feast". He grabbed Magolor's hand with such force that it seemed he might start running at any moment. "Let's go already, Magolor! Feast, feast, feast!"
"First friend, then feast!"
"I knew that! I meant let's save your friend and have a feast party~!"
"Wait!" King Dedede hastily jumped to block Kirby's path. "Don't forget me!"
"Get out of the way, King Dedede. You don't trust Magolor, right?"
"I changed my mind. I'm too benevolent of a king to ignore someone in trouble!"
"You don't have to come."
"You're not gonna beat that Dimension Mirror without my help!"
"You really don't have to."
King Dedede and Kirby boarded the Lor Starcutter, both seemingly trying to bump the other out of the way.
Magolor chuckled under his breath, lingering, and then suddenly turned to look at Meta Knight. Meta Knight hadn't budged, still glaring at him quietly.
"...You're really not gonna believe me, huh. You're so heartless, Meta Knight."
"..."
"Well, whatever. I have nothing to fear as long as I have Kirby and King Dedede. I don't even need your help. Bye!" Magolor turned his back and swiftly boarded the Lor.
The Lor Starcutter lifted off of Dream Land soil, ascending steadily.
Watching it go, Waddle Dee muttered, "There's something fishy about this... I just can't trust anything he says."
"Of course not. Magolor is a wizard of lies. There is not a single grain of truth within his words," Meta Knight said, annoyed. "Kirby takes his friends more seriously than anyone. That wretch knows Kirby's personality, and he plucked all the right heartstrings. King Dedede is unmoved by friendship, and so he brought out the talk of food. He knows the two of them so well, he has them in the palm of his hand. A cheap, dirty trick."
"I can't believe he's exploiting Kirby's kindness... That's horrible!" Waddle Dee glared up at the Lor growing ever smaller in the distance, his face scrunched in anger. "Sir Meta Knight! Magolor must be up to something. We can't afford to ignore this!"
"...I would prefer not to involve myself in their troubles." Meta Knight let out a small sigh. "And yet, as you say, I cannot ignore this. This isn't about what happens to Kirby or King Dedede. What I'm concerned by are Magolor's underlying plans."
By now, the Lor looked as small as a sesame seed in the sky as Meta Knight glared up at it.
"Let's go, Waddle Dee. Don't give him an inch, and don't let down your guard. It is no exaggeration to say that Magolor's cunning is unmatched in this universe," Meta Knight said, turning heel towards the Battleship Halberd stationed nearby.
"Yes sir!" Waddle Dee nodded firmly, following behind him.
The Battleship Halberd caught up with the Lor Starcutter in a flash. When Meta Knight and Waddle Dee boarded, Magolor was in the middle of a strategy meeting with the others. Kirby was, of course, glad for the two of them to join the team. But Magolor ignored them both.
"You guys know all about the powers of the Dimension Mirror, right?" Magolor restlessly moved around the Lor's meeting room as he explained. "It reflects people's wishes, and then makes them a reality. It belongs in the Mirror World, but my friend ended up with it by chance..."
"By chance? What is that supposed to mean? How, specifically, did your friend get his hands on the Dimension Mirror?"
At the pointed question, Magolor stopped moving, turning with a displeased expression. "It's rude to interrupt someone when they're talking... Why are you here on the Lor anyway, Meta Knight? I thought you couldn't trust anything I said?"
"I changed my mind. I think you should focus on answering my question. You don't pick up an item like the Dimension Mirror that easily. Why, exactly, does he have..."
"How should I know? Maybe he picked it up off the ground somewhere? At any rate, my friend got the Dimension Mirror, and the first thing he did was come show it to me. You know, because we're so close!"
"Did you make a wish on the mirror?" Kirby asked.
Magolor shook his head, spreading his hands. "I didn't have time to... I was just talking to my friend, and then the mirror started shining, and the next thing I knew, it had swallowed him up!" He shuddered at the memory. "I was so scared! After it swallowed him, it was covered in these white clouds, and wouldn't reflect anything anymore."
"So the Dimension Mirror..."
"Yeah. It lost its power. I'm at a complete loss on what to do about it... So I decided to ask for your help!"
"Where is the Dimension Mirror now?" asked Meta Knight.
Magolor beckoned, "Here, this way," and began to walk.
An automatic door opened, revealing a dimly lit expanse. In the center of the otherwise empty room was a large, mysterious mirror, framed with decorative golden wings. However, just as Magolor had told them, the surface of the mirror was cloudy and white. It almost looked like a lake that had frozen over with a layer of ice.
Meta Knight gripped his sword, defenses up. "You're saying this is the Dimension Mirror? It does resemble it from the outside... But I can't sense any hint of the mystic power that it should possess. Curious..."
"But it did swallow up my friend!" Magolor drew back, as if in fear. "I don't know what to do... But for the time being, I just brought it here."
"Your friend is trapped inside this mirror, right?" Kirby trotted up towards the mirror.
Waddle Dee warned, frantically, "Be careful, Kirby! It's dangerous to get that close casually!"
"It's fine, it's fine! It's just like Meta Knight said. The power doesn't seem to be there anymore. I don't feel anything." Kirby peered into the mirror. Nothing was reflected in its white, cloudy surface. "This isn't even a mirror anymore. It's just some white glass... I wonder what happened to it..."
Softly, Kirby touched the surface of the mirror. In a flash, the clouded mirror regained its shine. Kirby's surprise was now reflected clearly in it.
"H... Huh? The mirror...?" Kirby said, astonished.
As soon as he said that—Kirby found himself being pulled into the mirror, almost as if his reflection in the mirror was dragging him in by force!
"Uwaaaah?!" Kirby's shout was abruptly cut off partway through.
"Kirby?!" By the time Waddle Dee let out a scream, Kirby was nowhere to be seen.
Meta Knight muttered, dumbfounded, "What just happened...? Was the Dimension Mirror seeking Kirby's power? Why exactly...?"
Magolor jumped up with a shout. "We're in big trouble! This is just what happened with my friend! He was swallowed up by the mirror the same way! Is Kirby okay? I'm so worried I can hardly bear it!"
"...You look more cheerful than your words might suggest," Meta Knight pointed out.
Magolor shook his head quickly. "What are you saying? That's not true at all. Everyone, hurry! Please, save Kirby!"
"Hmph! Don't order me around. You're the one saying it, so you go first!" King Dedede grabbed Magolor by the scruff of his cloak, and tossed him forcefully towards the mirror.
"Wh... Waaaah?! What are you doing, you hooligan—?!" Magolor disappeared, apparently sucked up by the mirror.
King Dedede clapped his hands together a couple times before heading towards the mirror himself.
Waddle Dee said, fearfully, "Your Majesty, are you going to jump into the mirror too...?"
"Of course. I'm not gonna sit back and let Kirby have the whole feast to himself. You can stay here if you want, Waddle Dee. You wouldn't be much help anyway."
"No, I'm going too! I'm worried about Kirby..." When Waddle Dee realized what he had said, he gasped, putting a hand over his mouth.
King Dedede peered intensely down at Waddle Dee. "Worried, huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
"N... No... I mean..."
"You've been acting suspicious for a while now. Don't tell me you've been making friends with Kirby behind my back...?"
"N-N-No way! I'm worried about Kirby eating all the feast by himself... That's what I meant!"
"You sure about that?"
"Absolutely. Kirby is our enemy! He's an insolent fool who dares to defy Your Majesty!"
"Good, good. That's exactly it." His suspicions cleared, King Dedede turned back towards the mirror.
Waddle Dee sighed in relief. He and Kirby were very good friends, but that fact was a secret from the King. King Dedede saw Kirby as a rival, and was always squabbling with him over something. If he knew that his subordinate Waddle Dee was actually friends with Kirby, his anger would no doubt bring the whole castle down.
(It's Kirby, so I know he'll be okay in the end... But I don't want him to get hurt!)
Waddle Dee prayed quietly in his heart.
King Dedede turned to Meta Knight behind him. "What are you gonna do, Meta Knight?"
"I'll accompany you. It's unavoidable, given the circumstances."
"Hmph, whether you come or not, I ain't giving you any feast!"
"Don't go projecting yourself onto me. I only wish to uncover the truth of the mirror."
As soon as he spoke, Meta Knight nimbly charged into the mirror. King Dedede, unwilling to lose, hurriedly jumped in after him.
Waddle Dee couldn't hesitate, either. Though he was overcome with fear, he closed his eyes, and ran into the mirror as firmly as he could.
If he opened his eyes again, he wouldn't be able to help himself—he knew he would suck the whole thing up in one go. But a castella cake this large, this delicious, and this high-quality needed to be savored, not squandered in one go. First he would close his eyes, and focus on his sense of smell... After he had fully appreciated the aroma of the castella, then he could start to taste it bite by careful bite...
Kirby opened his eyes, his heart pounding.
"Hurry up and eat me!" the gleaming gold of the castella seemed to say.
"Here I goooo..."
Kirby opened his mouth, drool pooling in anticipation, when suddenly—
"Kirbyyyy! We've got trouble~!"
The door flew open, and Waddle Dee came tumbling in.
Kirby blinked in surprise, his mouth still wide open. "Waddle Dee...?"
"Trouble! We've got trouble, Kirby!"
"Y... Yeah. Sorry, Waddle Dee!" Kirby apologized, feeling slightly guilty. "I wasn't trying to hoard everything for myself. Just, there's only one of these castella cakes..."
"Hurry! Hurry and come with me, Kirby!"
"Chef Kawasaki gave me this... He said it's a prototype for his shop's menu... He said I should try eating it and tell him what I think, so... I... I..."
"I told you, there's trouble afoot! You have to come with me, quickly!"
"It wasn't nice of me to keep it a secret. If something tastes good, it really does just need to be shared... I'm sorry, Waddle Dee! I'm glad you made it in time! I'll split it in half right now..."
"Coooome ooooon! I'm not talking about that!" Waddle Dee grabbed Kirby's hand, pulling him up from his chair.
"Wh... What's going on, Waddle Dee? Are you going to ask Chef Kawasaki for another one?"
"No, I'm not. Someone else showed up!"
"Someone else? The ramen seller? The oden seller?"
"It's not a food truck! Just come with me already!"
"But the castella..."
"Worry about the castella later! Later!"
As Kirby was still dripping with regrets for his castella, Waddle Dee dragged him out by force, running at top speed.
The two of them arrived at the plaza at the base of Mt. Dedede. A familiar, boat-shaped spaceship had landed there. The instant Kirby laid eyes on it, his hunger disappeared immediately.
"Th-That ship... That's the Lor! No way!"
"Yes, way. It's him!" Waddle Dee's expression turned to an uncharacteristic glare as he pointed toward the Lor Starcutter.
Three figures could be seen standing outside of the Lor. One with a conspicuously larger build—King Dedede. Beside him, the masked swordsman, Meta Knight. And in front of them, chattering away avidly...
"Magolor~?!" Kirby cried. Now Kirby was the one dragging Waddle Dee along by force, running at top speed.
Magolor quickly turned around after hearing Kirby's shout, his face all smiles under his hood. "Hey, Kirby! It's been a while! How are you doing?"
"Y... You... Why..." Kirby adopted a defensive posture, glaring at Magolor.
Magolor had put them in an awful position before. For him to show up here in Dream Land, acting like nothing had happened... He had to be planning something, and it wasn't going to be good.
"Why did you come here?! I'm not going to let you have your way anymore! Stay out of Dream Land!"
"You don't understand, Kirby. I'm really, truly sorry about before. This time, I really do need your help! You're my only hope!"
Magolor clasped his hands together, gazing at Kirby. Kirby frowned, shaking his head.
"Nuh-uh. I'm not gonna fall for the same thing twice. I'm never gonna believe anything you say ever again!"
"Don't say that! Please, Kirby... Can't you at least hear me out?" Magolor hung his head, downcast. "The truth is... my friend is in serious trouble."
"..."
"I want to save him as soon as I possibly can. But I can't do it alone! Please, Kirby. Lend me your strength..."
Still, Kirby's hard expression didn't falter.
Meta Knight, who had been quietly listening until this point, opened his mouth to speak. "It seems you embarked on a fool's errand, Magolor. There is no one left here that you can manipulate with your falsehoods. Begone."
"Meta Knight... Don't say that..."
"Are you asking to taste my blade?" Meta Knight gripped the hilt of his legendary sword, Galaxia.
Magolor crouched down, cowering in fear. "Just listen to what I have to say... I want to save my friend! My very closest friend is trapped in the Mirror World labyrinth!"
"...What? Did you say... the Mirror World, labyrinth?" Meta Knight's hand, just on the verge of drawing his sword, suddenly froze.
Magolor looked frantic as he spoke. "You know about it too, right? From those frightful legends... the Dimension Mirror...!"
Kirby, King Dedede, and Meta Knight all exchanged glances. The Dimension Mirror was a sacred mirror from the Mirror World, which floated in the skies above Dream Land. It was said to have the curious power of reflecting and granting people's wishes.
"What's the situation? What happened with the Dimension Mirror?" Meta Knight asked.
Magolor began speaking with exaggerated gestures in response. "That mirror swallowed up my friend! Now he can't leave the Mirror World... I can't stop worrying about him... Please save my friend, Kirby!"
Kirby didn't know how to respond. If Magolor's story was true, he wanted to help. But was it really all right to trust him? After all, Magolor was a smooth talker. Kirby hadn't forgotten the last time he got swept up by Magolor's cajolery, and the bitter experiences that followed.
Neither Meta Knight, nor King Dedede, nor Waddle Dee opened their mouths. As expected, none of them could trust Magolor.
Magolor's voice sounded watery. "...Right... I guess... you won't give me the benefit of the doubt..."
"..."
"It's my fault... But I'm still sad... I can't believe you'd doubt even my feelings for my friend... I thought at least you would understand how I felt, Kirby..."
"...Huh?"
"You're always thinking of your friends. You'd never leave a friend in need alone, would you? Not if someone you loved was in danger." Magolor glanced over at Waddle Dee as he spoke.
Kirby gasped in realization. If Waddle Dee were taken by a bad guy, or if he were suffering, Kirby would do everything in his power to save him. Of course he would face any danger head-on, no matter what it was.
"I feel just the same way. I want to save my beloved friend, whatever it takes...!" Magolor clung to Kirby, looking desperate.
Kirby's resolve wavered.
Magolor may be a chronic liar, but what if his feelings for his friends are the one genuine thing about him? What if he feels the way Kirby does about his companions? Kirby couldn't possibly trample over those feelings.
"...Okay." Kirby nodded.
King Dedede looked stunned. "What are you saying, Kirby? Don't tell me you believe this guy!"
"Yeah. I'm gonna go save Magolor's friend."
"Really?! Hoorayyy! I knew it! I can always count on you!" Magolor jumped for joy.
Worried, Waddle Dee said, "Kirby, you can't just trust him this easily. He might be planning something again."
"It's okay! If it turns out to be a lie, then I'll punish him for it!" Kirby gave Magolor an intimidating look.
Magolor nodded, again and again. "I understand! I've had a change of heart, you know. I won't lie anymore."
"Then let's hurry up and get going. Show me where your friend disappeared."
"Yeah! ...Oh? What about you guys?"
Magolor looked at King Dedede and Meta Knight. Neither of them had dropped their guard, or lessened their glare.
Magolor shrugged. "Kirby's going to help... So aren't you coming too?"
"Hmph! I'm no easy mark like Kirby is. You ain't gonna catch me believing what you say!" King Dedede folded his arms, turning away.
Magolor sighed. "I guess not... That's too bad... Even though my friend is super rich, and generous too..."
"...What?"
"Even though I'm sure he'll give a huge reward to whoever saves his life... and throw a party with a feast straight out of your wildest dreams..."
"A... feast?" King Dedede gulped.
Magolor turned his back to him. "I guess it can't be helped... Kirby will just have to have the whole feast to himself... I wonder if he can even finish it on his own...?"
"I can finish it~! No matter how big the feast is, I could get it down in one gulp! Don't worry, Magolor!" Kirby did a twirl in midair, eyes sparkling. His lingering misgivings flew away the moment he heard the word "feast". He grabbed Magolor's hand with such force that it seemed he might start running at any moment. "Let's go already, Magolor! Feast, feast, feast!"
"First friend, then feast!"
"I knew that! I meant let's save your friend and have a feast party~!"
"Wait!" King Dedede hastily jumped to block Kirby's path. "Don't forget me!"
"Get out of the way, King Dedede. You don't trust Magolor, right?"
"I changed my mind. I'm too benevolent of a king to ignore someone in trouble!"
"You don't have to come."
"You're not gonna beat that Dimension Mirror without my help!"
"You really don't have to."
King Dedede and Kirby boarded the Lor Starcutter, both seemingly trying to bump the other out of the way.
Magolor chuckled under his breath, lingering, and then suddenly turned to look at Meta Knight. Meta Knight hadn't budged, still glaring at him quietly.
"...You're really not gonna believe me, huh. You're so heartless, Meta Knight."
"..."
"Well, whatever. I have nothing to fear as long as I have Kirby and King Dedede. I don't even need your help. Bye!" Magolor turned his back and swiftly boarded the Lor.
The Lor Starcutter lifted off of Dream Land soil, ascending steadily.
Watching it go, Waddle Dee muttered, "There's something fishy about this... I just can't trust anything he says."
"Of course not. Magolor is a wizard of lies. There is not a single grain of truth within his words," Meta Knight said, annoyed. "Kirby takes his friends more seriously than anyone. That wretch knows Kirby's personality, and he plucked all the right heartstrings. King Dedede is unmoved by friendship, and so he brought out the talk of food. He knows the two of them so well, he has them in the palm of his hand. A cheap, dirty trick."
"I can't believe he's exploiting Kirby's kindness... That's horrible!" Waddle Dee glared up at the Lor growing ever smaller in the distance, his face scrunched in anger. "Sir Meta Knight! Magolor must be up to something. We can't afford to ignore this!"
"...I would prefer not to involve myself in their troubles." Meta Knight let out a small sigh. "And yet, as you say, I cannot ignore this. This isn't about what happens to Kirby or King Dedede. What I'm concerned by are Magolor's underlying plans."
By now, the Lor looked as small as a sesame seed in the sky as Meta Knight glared up at it.
"Let's go, Waddle Dee. Don't give him an inch, and don't let down your guard. It is no exaggeration to say that Magolor's cunning is unmatched in this universe," Meta Knight said, turning heel towards the Battleship Halberd stationed nearby.
"Yes sir!" Waddle Dee nodded firmly, following behind him.
The Battleship Halberd caught up with the Lor Starcutter in a flash. When Meta Knight and Waddle Dee boarded, Magolor was in the middle of a strategy meeting with the others. Kirby was, of course, glad for the two of them to join the team. But Magolor ignored them both.
"You guys know all about the powers of the Dimension Mirror, right?" Magolor restlessly moved around the Lor's meeting room as he explained. "It reflects people's wishes, and then makes them a reality. It belongs in the Mirror World, but my friend ended up with it by chance..."
"By chance? What is that supposed to mean? How, specifically, did your friend get his hands on the Dimension Mirror?"
At the pointed question, Magolor stopped moving, turning with a displeased expression. "It's rude to interrupt someone when they're talking... Why are you here on the Lor anyway, Meta Knight? I thought you couldn't trust anything I said?"
"I changed my mind. I think you should focus on answering my question. You don't pick up an item like the Dimension Mirror that easily. Why, exactly, does he have..."
"How should I know? Maybe he picked it up off the ground somewhere? At any rate, my friend got the Dimension Mirror, and the first thing he did was come show it to me. You know, because we're so close!"
"Did you make a wish on the mirror?" Kirby asked.
Magolor shook his head, spreading his hands. "I didn't have time to... I was just talking to my friend, and then the mirror started shining, and the next thing I knew, it had swallowed him up!" He shuddered at the memory. "I was so scared! After it swallowed him, it was covered in these white clouds, and wouldn't reflect anything anymore."
"So the Dimension Mirror..."
"Yeah. It lost its power. I'm at a complete loss on what to do about it... So I decided to ask for your help!"
"Where is the Dimension Mirror now?" asked Meta Knight.
Magolor beckoned, "Here, this way," and began to walk.
An automatic door opened, revealing a dimly lit expanse. In the center of the otherwise empty room was a large, mysterious mirror, framed with decorative golden wings. However, just as Magolor had told them, the surface of the mirror was cloudy and white. It almost looked like a lake that had frozen over with a layer of ice.
Meta Knight gripped his sword, defenses up. "You're saying this is the Dimension Mirror? It does resemble it from the outside... But I can't sense any hint of the mystic power that it should possess. Curious..."
"But it did swallow up my friend!" Magolor drew back, as if in fear. "I don't know what to do... But for the time being, I just brought it here."
"Your friend is trapped inside this mirror, right?" Kirby trotted up towards the mirror.
Waddle Dee warned, frantically, "Be careful, Kirby! It's dangerous to get that close casually!"
"It's fine, it's fine! It's just like Meta Knight said. The power doesn't seem to be there anymore. I don't feel anything." Kirby peered into the mirror. Nothing was reflected in its white, cloudy surface. "This isn't even a mirror anymore. It's just some white glass... I wonder what happened to it..."
Softly, Kirby touched the surface of the mirror. In a flash, the clouded mirror regained its shine. Kirby's surprise was now reflected clearly in it.
"H... Huh? The mirror...?" Kirby said, astonished.
As soon as he said that—Kirby found himself being pulled into the mirror, almost as if his reflection in the mirror was dragging him in by force!
"Uwaaaah?!" Kirby's shout was abruptly cut off partway through.
"Kirby?!" By the time Waddle Dee let out a scream, Kirby was nowhere to be seen.
Meta Knight muttered, dumbfounded, "What just happened...? Was the Dimension Mirror seeking Kirby's power? Why exactly...?"
Magolor jumped up with a shout. "We're in big trouble! This is just what happened with my friend! He was swallowed up by the mirror the same way! Is Kirby okay? I'm so worried I can hardly bear it!"
"...You look more cheerful than your words might suggest," Meta Knight pointed out.
Magolor shook his head quickly. "What are you saying? That's not true at all. Everyone, hurry! Please, save Kirby!"
"Hmph! Don't order me around. You're the one saying it, so you go first!" King Dedede grabbed Magolor by the scruff of his cloak, and tossed him forcefully towards the mirror.
"Wh... Waaaah?! What are you doing, you hooligan—?!" Magolor disappeared, apparently sucked up by the mirror.
King Dedede clapped his hands together a couple times before heading towards the mirror himself.
Waddle Dee said, fearfully, "Your Majesty, are you going to jump into the mirror too...?"
"Of course. I'm not gonna sit back and let Kirby have the whole feast to himself. You can stay here if you want, Waddle Dee. You wouldn't be much help anyway."
"No, I'm going too! I'm worried about Kirby..." When Waddle Dee realized what he had said, he gasped, putting a hand over his mouth.
King Dedede peered intensely down at Waddle Dee. "Worried, huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
"N... No... I mean..."
"You've been acting suspicious for a while now. Don't tell me you've been making friends with Kirby behind my back...?"
"N-N-No way! I'm worried about Kirby eating all the feast by himself... That's what I meant!"
"You sure about that?"
"Absolutely. Kirby is our enemy! He's an insolent fool who dares to defy Your Majesty!"
"Good, good. That's exactly it." His suspicions cleared, King Dedede turned back towards the mirror.
Waddle Dee sighed in relief. He and Kirby were very good friends, but that fact was a secret from the King. King Dedede saw Kirby as a rival, and was always squabbling with him over something. If he knew that his subordinate Waddle Dee was actually friends with Kirby, his anger would no doubt bring the whole castle down.
(It's Kirby, so I know he'll be okay in the end... But I don't want him to get hurt!)
Waddle Dee prayed quietly in his heart.
King Dedede turned to Meta Knight behind him. "What are you gonna do, Meta Knight?"
"I'll accompany you. It's unavoidable, given the circumstances."
"Hmph, whether you come or not, I ain't giving you any feast!"
"Don't go projecting yourself onto me. I only wish to uncover the truth of the mirror."
As soon as he spoke, Meta Knight nimbly charged into the mirror. King Dedede, unwilling to lose, hurriedly jumped in after him.
Waddle Dee couldn't hesitate, either. Though he was overcome with fear, he closed his eyes, and ran into the mirror as firmly as he could.