Author Note: Personal favorite out of all my works. I finished the original version on this site a while ago, and then tried to get some editing done but I really lost the motivation for it until now. I've added a lot of things that weren't in the original post. Funny thing: the idea for this story came from one visit to a Renaissance Festival and liking the setting a lot.

This story is meant to be a quick read, but I hope it's satisfying enough.

Disclaimer: Cosmicgiraffe does not own rights to Hoshi no Kaabii. All the characters in this chapter are licensed to Nintendo and HAL. Cosmicgiraffe does not own any third party rights over the Kirby franchise. Story is fan-written by Cosmicgiraffe.

X—X—X

-Chapter I: The Order-

"… and with the end of the Black Plague, a third of *cough* Dreamland's population had been taken and the survivors began returning to the land. *cough* King Arthur's crown was passed down to the duke of our neighboring land to the *COUGH* north and…"

Most of the students in the small, excessively hot classroom didn't have the mind to sit and listen to Curio lecture on with his apparent cold. Out of all the town children to the few adults who decided to 'learn something', only two were fully awake. Kirby was too busy sucking on a pencil and Fumu was concentrated on taking notes, as if the world depended on it. Her pen scribbling down word after word was the only sound other than Curio's wheezing coughs and his rambling.

Bun felt his forehead smack his desk as he stared out the teasing window from the corner of his eye. He really needed fresh air… badly. This room was unbelievably hot… why oh why did Dedede try and put them all back into school after it had failed so many times. Kirby always ended up bringing it down into ruins anyway… actually; he wished the pink Star Warrior would do that right now so he and the other guys could go play soccer while the day still lasted. Listening to anymore of this would just about kill him.

"Bun," Fumu hissed as she turned one eye towards him. "Pay attention. It's not like we go to school every day you know."

"Yeah. One day is enough for me."

Being an archaeologist and having connections with several more, Curio had acquired a whole collection of artifacts on the time period, which he had proudly showed off. Along with a full body armor that he had let the police officer, Chief Borun try on and exclaim how heavy it was, he had a musical lyre and a scroll, a shield and sword… Bun was the one who got the privilege to hold it and he couldn't forget the wondrous feeling of importance. All the other town boys were writhing in jealousy especially after the fact that someone spotted a bloodstain on its engraved blade. But after all that excitement, Curio returned to his lecture and everyone went back to sleeping or scribbling on the tables. Bun spent the rest of the time, feeling ashamed for being envious of Kirby... who was always the hero of everything on a usual basis. Kirby... Sir Meta Knight... Sword and Blade... all of them had important jobs. Bun was afraid he'd spend all his life just wishing to be something.

Someone from the back of the room threw a paper airplane and it flew unnoticed by the historian as he continued to scratch out more nonsense on the chalkboard. Everyone watched it land on the ground just seconds before Curio let out another cough.

"…the eh… medieval period ended with *cough* the war and Dreamland's Renaissance soon followed and… *cough* we'll… cover that some other time. Eh… are there any questions?"

Curio put down the chalk stub, which Bun eyed in despair. Wasn't that thing brand new from this morning? The others in the room woke up from their naps as the rustle in the room grew in such longing anxiousness to get out. The historian's gray mustache twitched but he gave a small sigh.

"No? Well, uh… we'll *cough* have a test on this tomorrow. Other than that, class is dismissed."

What a way to ruin a day… but as if I'M going to waste my life! Screw that! I'm going out to play!

Everyone closed their books and Bun snatched up his bag, leaping over his desk and followed the crowd out the door. As soon as he was out, he let out a whoop, echoed by his friends as they took off. Fumu stayed behind, waking up Tokkori who had fallen asleep on top of Kirby's head.

"Huh? What's going on?" The bird grumbled, blinking.

As Tokkori flew back into the air, Fumu packed away her book and notepad. She had to admit; the lecture had been pretty boring… she felt tired. Bun actually had decided to wait too and was standing outside the door, grinning as he stretched out his arms.

"I suppose you're not going to study."

"Nope," Bun admitted guiltlessly. "I'm going to go play and laugh at you the whole time for sitting inside all day, reading a moldy, old book. Hey, Kirby! You want to join?"

"Oh no you don't!" Fumu said as she held the pink Star Warrior back. "He and I are going to study and someday… I'll be the one laughing when Kirby does better than you, Bun."

"HAH! Kirby can't study. He'd eat the test first before anything else!" Tokkori sneered. "… and the desk too if he's extra hungry!"

One of the other town kids, Iroo came running back, face full of despair.

"Bun! The fields are still wet from last night's rain! We're not going to be able to play soccer…"

"What? NO! I spent all day sitting in that room!"

Fumu sighed, thinking of saying something to get back at her brother but decided against it, quietly saying,

"Come on, Bun. It's not use to stand here and complain. Let's go home."

Fumu turned to walk back towards the castle, Kirby skipping behind her and Bun reluctantly followed, muttering to himself.

"Huh… I can't believe Dedede put us through that. I hope he's plotting out something and at least make this day better…"

The demon beast catalog hit the TV screen as Dedede's eyes blazed at the salesman who shrank back from the outburst. Escargon was tugging at his robe's sleeve, trying to calm him down but the self-proclaimed king would hear none of it.

"What do you mean? Out of the millions of junk you people sell, you don't have anything useful? I'm THROUGH with ordering demon beasts that Kirby's going to beat up and save the day. I want something to bring all those stupid demon beasts back to take him out all at once, or else I'm demanding for a refund!"

"But Your Majesty… they're gone and you know that. We can't bring dead things back to life." Customer Service said with an innocent shrug.

Dedede fumed, pacing around the delivery system with heavy stomps. Escargon ducked behind the throne as the king's hammer came flying past and he put his hand back down, deciding better against trying to make a suggestion at this point. He glanced at Customer Service, pointing an accusing finger.

"Well don't you guys have everything? How about something to… take all the demon beasts His Majesty ever ordered and just… well, bring them here… NOW, like… as in the present."

Dedede stopped in his tracks, shouting,

"Escargon, just shut up with all your crazy talk and start being useful!"

"But Sire!" The snail protested. "Kirby won't stand a chance against all the demon beasts you ordered in the past attacking him at once! We paid a lot of money for some of them!"

Customer Service, on his side of the screen, straightened his glasses as he chuckled a little.

"Actually, Your Majesty, that's not a very bad thought at all. So what you guys are asking for is… a time machine, of sorts. I'm not much of a science fiction reader, and I'm not very positive there's even such a thing… but… you guys could try looking for it… somewhere else."

"Now you just hold on there for a minute!" Dedede ordered. "Go and check!"

"What? That's absurd! Your Majesty, I can tell you right now that if we actually had such a thing, it'd be posted on our catalog. I promise you that if we did, you'd be the first to kn—"

"Don't try that with me! I know you guys sell it!" The king aggressively cut him off.

"If it's not in the catalog, we don't have it."

"You guys have lots of stuff that doesn't go in the catalog! Go and check because I want it!"

Customer Service looked back at Dedede for a long time before finally; he turned away from the screen and began typing away at his computer. Dedede's patience was tested as several minutes went by and after sitting down his throne, sinking further and further back into his throne. The salesman typed fast and scanned through several pages of listings at once, but the pace was too slow for the king. Escargon had already taken several good steps away from the bomb that was about ready to explode.

"That's interesting…" They heard Customer Service murmur.

"Hey! What's taking so long?"

The salesman didn't speak right away, eyebrows furrowing.

"Well, the thing is… I found a completely unlabeled product. Barely any information… not even a picture or customer reviews. I'm at a loss for words, Your Majesty. I've… never seen anything in our inventory with such a… oh, take a look."

Customer Service adjusted his own computer's screen and tilted its screen to show them. The page was indeed blank… only a single, brief statement explained it for all its glory.

No image available

Product name: No given name

Product number: 35293951

Inventory stock: x1

Description: Time machine (?)

Customer Review: None available

"Is this another scam?" Escargon demanded.

Customer Service only responded with a shrug of his shoulders and that hated-vague smirk, almost just to mock the two. Dedede held in his temper.

"Hah, well… if you're not interested, I might as well have it identified and cataloged for the next customer…"

"No! I'm buying it! Send it here now!" The king burst out.

"Sire…" Escargon moaned. "We don't even know if this thing is even worth spending all the money for…"

"Shut up, I'm buying the stupid thing. This had better be good." Dedede said, smacking his advisor on the head.

The salesman waited for the two to finish their squabbling, before he cleared his throat and said,

"Well then… here's the price… it's a rather costly little thing isn't it? It must be of high quality."

Both Dedede and Escargon's jaws dropped and the two were left stammering senselessly.

"… and your debt still hasn't been paid. Your Majesty? Do you ever plan on paying us back at all? I assure you that Lord Nightmare isn't pleased to see such… amounts accumulate."

"Just send the thing…" Escargon croaked out from under Dedede's fist.

"Very well then. I'll just put it on your… ever growing bill…" The salesman muttered dryly.

Customer Service pressed a button on his side of the screen and the throne room floor opened up to reveal the delivery system. As its panels unfolded and straightened themselves, its energy began to charge up and light filled the room. Dedede sat up, leaning forward along with Escargon to watch the dark silhouette of an object form in the glow of light. Then, a flash. The two had to shield their eyes before as quickly as it had come, the light disappeared and the room lights returned.

Sitting on the delivery machine panel was a small, metal brick-like object. And that was it. No massive contraption with glowing lights or flashing buttons. Dedede and Escargon just stared at it.

"I hope it satisfies your wishes, Your Majesty… good luck."

Customer Service clicked another button and the screen flickered off before the entire TV quickly disappeared into its compartment in the wall. One final object appeared on the delivery machine: a single sheet of paper that fluttered down on to the throne room's carpet.

Dedede picked it up, scratching his head while trying to read it before he gave up and handed it to Escagon. The snail examined it, frowning.

"Gee. That was beyond useful… Sire, I think we were ripped off… again. I can barely read what it says here… everything's printed so small… it basically declares that NME won't take the blame for any… eh… possible hazards… whatever that means…"

Dedede picked up the brick, crying out in shock at its unbelievable mass. He had to hold it with two hands and he looked at Escargon in exasperation.

"What am I supposed to do with it? Throw it at Kirby's head and hope it kills him?" He huffed.

"Wait! Sire! Don't touch it! It might be dangerous!"

Dedede almost dropped it right then; but he caught it and set it down quick, backing away. Escargon poured over the slip again.

"Huh, it says that the machine works when it wants to… and ONLY then! Piece of junk… says it can take you to the beginning of time or the end, for all the researchers at NME know…"

"So we have to wait? How's it dangerous if it's just a scam?"

"We don't know that Sire… I guess… I guess we'll have to wait to find that out."

Dedede's face scowled, but he didn't reply. His stomach growled anxiously.

"Hmph. Right now, I'm hungry. By the time I get back, this thing better be ready to work…"

The two left the room, grumbling about being cheated on useless, costly mechanisms. In the corner of the block, its small light pulsed in wait.

"Sir, they're gone now. Shall we go and check out what they ordered?"

With a nod, all three of the castle knights came out of their hiding places in the shadows behind the columns bordering the throne room. They stopped in front of the doors; made sure the troublesome two would return and then surrounded the mysterious metal block.

"It disgusts me the way Dedede goes off and spends every cent he has… and its not even his! It's all the townspeople's taxes!" Sword muttered. "What for? A brick?"

"I almost hope that it wasn't a scam… did you see the way their jaws dropped when that sales guy showed them the price? I'm kind of glad we were hiding at the opposite side, facing away from the TV… I don't even want to know how much he spent on this…" Blade agreed with a grim nod. "It's just a brick! There aren't even any buttons or switches!"

"I wouldn't say that quite yet…"

The two apprentices turned to their lord whose gold eyes were fixed upon the metal slab. He drew the wondrous Galaxia out of its scabbard, its blade sliding out with a brilliant flash before its glow subsided in its metal. The knight reached out and experimentally tapped the brick's side with his sword, waiting for a reaction. There were none.

"Sir? You know what it is?"

Meta Knight shook his head silently, frowning under his mask.

"I… don't… if it didn't have Nightmare's logo engraved on its side, I would have thought it was nothing more than, yes, a block. It's not a demon beast… but the way it's not doing anything concerns me…"

"Maybe it really is just a brick." Blade murmured. "A costly one at that."

The apprentice made the move to give it a light kick when Sword stopped him, giving a nudge of the elbow.

"Blade, don't kick the thing. We don't even know what it is."

Behind them, the throne room door suddenly opened and the knights all stood back, expecting to see Dedede, but instead were met with the sounds of Kirby making happy squeals as he clambered in. Fumu and Bun poked their heads into the room.

"Sir Meta Knight? We heard your voices from the hall… is there something going on?"

"Yeah," Blade answered for the veteran Star Warrior. "Dedede went and ordered something dumb again. We don't even have a clue what it is."

The children came up to the metal block and looked at it too. Fumu shook her head and wondered aloud,

"Did you guys hear anything about it? Like what Dedede or Customer Service said?"

"No. We got here after they were finished discussing about it and we had to wait for His Majesty and Escargon to leave…" Meta Knight answered.

Sword picked up the slip of paper, glancing at it before he handed it to the caped knight.

"Check it out. It looks like Dedede really did get scammed…"

"Has it done anything?" Bun asked, deciding to at least sound like he was interested which was… hard. A brick? He was disappointed this time with what Dedede ordered.

"Poyo?" Kirby added.

"No… not yet at least." Meta Knight replied. "We'll have to continue watching it."

"But if it hasn't done anything already, when is—"

There was a loud crash a couple floors down and Dedede broke the conversation apart as he yelled, the entire castle almost rumbling.

"META KNIGHT!"

The veteran Star Warrior winced. With a heavy sigh, he began moving towards the door with Sword and Blade following behind him like obedient twin shadows. As they left, Bun looked back at the brick and giving it a nudge, he kicked it a few paces away. Suddenly, it began to shake violently, rattling closer to were Kirby was standing…

Then it stopped for a long moment, everyone was frozen as they watched. Its lid slid open and glowing lights shimmered out.

"Poyo!" Kirby exclaimed in surprise as he was lifted into the air with a sudden jerk, flying towards the block.

"KIRBY!" Everyone shouted after him as the little pink Star Warrior disappeared into the streaming lights.

The next moments flashed too fast. Bun was whisked off his feet and he cried out as he too was pulled in.

"Sis! Help meeee!"

His flailing hands caught her hair tied up in its ponytail and she was wrench backwards. Meta Knight was faster than his two apprentices and he leapt towards her, reaching for her hand. Their hands just missed and Fumu watched the surprise his face almost slow… before lights swirled around her and the block's lid snapped shut, leaving the knights behind and the children tumbling down into the light…

X—X—X

Author Note: Mm… I'm not an avid fan of time travel stories, but sometimes I've really found it to be an interesting thought. I would have loved to skip all this junk and get right to the exciting medieval stuff even earlier, but this intro is kind of needed…

As a heads up, I have done a considerable amount of leisurely research on medieval dialect, but it's not completely perfect and I still want it to be easy to read. If any of you readers happen to know more, maybe even how it's used in a cultural context, I'd be glad to hear from you. But I'll give myself some credit: the edits have gotten better and I really hope to do more with this story than what I originally planned two years ago.

Please review! Criticism is always welcomed.