Even the bravest of warriors need to feel like they're loved.

White. The color that can drive people insane. Creates anxiety.

There was no way out.

Kirby opened his eyes, and his vision turned from black to white instantly. It made his heart jump. He was in an endless white space. No matter how much you ran, no one could ever escape it. It's not like Kirby tried to run, anyways.

He stood up from his lying position and looked all around him. It didn't feel like he was moving at all. Because everything looked the same. There wasn't a single speck on the floor to tell him he was turning and looking. The panic was setting in.

Kirby tried shouting, but no sound was produced. Suddenly, he could hear his feet tapping against the floor as he moved. Nothing else made sound. For what seemed like an hour, Kirby kept turning around, trying to find something else in the empty space. Eventually he heard a voice. A strained, wheezing voice, whispering slowly.

"Would you like to know a secret?" it asked. Kirby did nothing. Besides, could he do anything? "Everyone knows YOUR secret. That you're nothing but a lowlife, naive, selfish little glutton. Consuming anything and everything in your path."

The whisper altered its voice to Mao Mao's. "I can't believe that weakling! He'd rather chase butterflies than protect his friends!"

Then Badgerclops. "He's just like, super annoying. His voice is too squeaky, and he can't do anything with those stubs."

Then Adorabat. "I wish Kirby would just go away FOREVER! That freak!"

Kirby's breathing hitched. He felt cold, freezing actually. The original voice continued talking.

"I wonder what....Meta Knight would think of you now." Tiny bits of tears formed in Kirby's eyes as he squeezed them shut. He turned to the floor, and his smol body shook. His tears grew bigger, and dropped to the white floor. They got sucked into the white floor like a sponge with water. "Oh, don't even start with your crying. Deal with it."

Kirby opened his eyes again and wiped his tears. He noticed a funnel-like hole open up from a distance. The white space seemed to turn into paint as it drooped from invisible walls. Darkness was behind the white. The white substance abruptly and quickly dragged into the funnel. The darkness got bigger and bigger.

Kirby just stood there, clueless as to what he should do. He watched as all the white gathered into the funnel, and closed. All that was left was a shining, white orb as big as Kirby's whole stub.

A feeling of greed and eagerness hit him. He was desperate for that orb. It was the only thing that would keep him from panicking more. He wanted to hold it, just for a second. He slowly walked to the orb, reaching his stubs out. Just one, measly—

A giant, thin white hand with long, slender fingers appeared. It steadily put its fingers over the white orb, wrapping them around it. The hand squeezed the orb tighter, and tighter, and tighter. Until Kirby heard popping and cracking noises coming from the orb as it was being crushed.

Kirby's stubs felt sweaty. His throat felt tight and oxygen had trouble coming through. He felt lost.

The hand unraveled itself. The wheezing, whispering voice came back. "No one will ever love a weak star warrior like you." The hand grabbed Kirby from behind. He felt the fingers digging on his skin, pinching him deeply. He screamed, but no sound came out. Kirby's thoughts about himself and what others thought of him came in full force.

Nothing he did would please anyone. He'll be all alone, forever! He's just a stupid baby with no skill at all! Kirby squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for it to be over.

Kirby's eyes snapped open. His heart was thumping at a fast rate. He realized his vision was covered by white fur. Like his nightmare. He sat up from Badgerclops's belly, tears in his eyes.

Kirby didn't wanna wake Badgerclops up from his deep sleep, so he used his floating power to land on the wooden floor. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand next to the bunk: 3:30 AM. Kirby wiped his tears. No crying. Deal with it.

Kirby headed to the sofa to sleep there. It wasn't white, so he wouldn't be brought back to his nightmare, right?

Wrong.

Kirby couldn't sleep at all. No matter how much he tried. Even if the sofa wasn't white, he had a feeling his dream would come back. Maybe he could wake Badgerclops up, but Kirby knew how precious Badgerclops's sleep was. He didn't wanna make him grumpy.

Certainly not Mao Mao. Kirby was afraid he would complain about "heroes needing the correct amount of sleep." Kirby put a pillow on his head, struggling to fall back to sleep.

* * *

His eyes were bloodshot. Kirby fell asleep a few times in the night, only to wake up again 10 minutes after. What would the others think when they see him like this? This was all because of some dumb nightmare! It was genuinely pathetic. Kirby sat up on the sofa, feeling a painful shame ripple in his stomach.

Minutes later, he heard footsteps coming from the bedroom. Kirby hid under the pillow he used for the night. Whoever it was, they couldn't see him, they shouldn't see him. He didn't want them to worry. Go away go away go away...

He heard the footsteps coming closer to him. The person sighed. It should've been obvious who it was because of their sigh, but Kirby was too tired to even guess.

"Kirby, I know you're under that pillow." Ugh, it was Badgerclops. But why was he up first? Usually everyone came out of the bedroom together. He gently lifted the pillow off the delicate marshmallow, and placed it against the cushions of the sofa. Kirby kept his eyes closed. "I noticed that your weight was missing while I was sleeping. Everything okay, little dude?"

Badgerclops tapped Kirby on the side. He wanted to keep his eyes shut, but he practically begged for comfort. That nightmare's gonna stay with him unless he talks to someone. Kirby slowly opened his bloodshot eyes. Badgerclops's own eye widened, then his brow furrowed.

"Kirbs . . . did you sleep at all last night?" he asked as he gently plopped on the sofa with Kirby. Kirby shook his head, tears forming in his eyes. Badgerclops held his tiny stub. "Hey. Look at me." Kirby moved his head to the kind-hearted badger. "Was it a nightmare...?"

"Poyo," Kirby replied, the lump in his throat making his voice crack. His tears slipped down his cheeks. Badgerclops rubbed Kirby's back with his smooth claws. He felt horrible for this cute lil' kid.

He lowered his voice to a calm whisper. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Poyo poyo poyo, poyo." Badgerclops mustered a sad smile.

"Kirby, I don't care if my beauty sleep is interrupted. If something's wrong, just wake me up. I won't be mad." Kirby sniffed and shivered. That cold feeling came back to him. Badgerclops picked him up in two paws. "Lil' dude . . . I hate seeing you like this. It's not right."

Kirby was about to say more poyos, but the lump in his throat told him to cry. So he did. He let out more tears from his dark blue eyes. Badgerclops hugged him tightly, trying not to cry himself. Kirby's tears drenched Badgerclops's fur, but that's okay.

His crying subsided a minute later, and Badgerclops held the precious puff in his paws again. He brought him to eye level and rested his head against Kirby's, both of their eyes closing. Badgerclops held Kirby in one arm and gently wiped his tears with a thumb.

"Now, tell me what happened."

Kirby told him everything in a series of poyos. Sure, it was a bit annoying hearing the same word, but Badgerclops listened. And understood thanks to his translator.

Mao Mao came out after Kirby explained. He had heard everything—the talking, the poyos, the crying, and the explanation (which he could not understand). Even so, he dreaded hearing all of that, but glad that Badgerclops took care of Kirby.

"Hey, uh . . . is he okay?" Mao Mao asked as he sat next to them and rubbed his eyes. Badgerclops was still holding Kirby in one arm. He was fast asleep. The nightmare he had seemed to blow away like a harmless leaf.

"He's fine, for the most part," Badgerclops said. "You must've heard a lot." Mao Mao chuckled quietly.

"As if I inexplicably understood Kirby's language." Badgerclops smirked.

"I would've gave you a five star review if you could." Mao Mao scoffed and crossed his arms.

"I AM five stars." Badgerclops rolled his eye, turning his head to Kirby.

"You wish." Mao Mao leaned back on the cushions, sighing. He's actually glad he couldn't understand Kirby. He truthfully didn't want to know what kind of nightmare the puff had.

"I want Kirby to feel special today," Badgerclops spoke suddenly. Mao Mao didn't look at him, but from his tender voice he knew Badgerclops was willing to not be a lazybones today. Mao was actually on board with the idea. Even if he didn't know what Kirby had dreamt of.

"Uh, sure. What are you considering we do?"

"We could get him all the watermelons. You know how much he likes those."

"You think Farmer Bun would allow that?" Badgerclops held Kirby's stub, squishing it a little.

"I'll give him all my money if I have to. If he doesn't let me buy 'em, I'll just make sure missing posters are put up." Mao Mao hums a chuckle.

"You seem really committed to help Kirby out," Mao Mao said. Badgerclops nodded.

"Yeah, he does a lot for us. He's always there to solace us." He smiles. "Now, I want us to be there for him."