@mushroomfusion245 and I wrote a short White Hair Noir AU story Noir belongs to @desultory-novice Heehee, more Noir propaganda for @kirbyoctournament
Context: This most likely deviates from the AU somewhat. This takes place in Dream Land 3; Noir is still on his own, but this is after Adeleine/Dark Matter Painter sacrificed herself for him. This takes place instead of the Ado fight from canon kdl3
Kirby smiled as he held the last heart star he and Gooey obtained in Cloudy Park. He looked out onto the horizon, and just in the distance, he could spot Iceberg in the distance. He had the biggest grin on his face as he beckoned Gooey to take a look at the view. Gooey bounced over, holding his parasol in his tongue. Though he almost dropped it at the sight.
Once they were able to make their way down the mountains from the cloud they were on, a cold sea would stand before the two, and Dedede’s castle was just a speck in the distance.
The two weren’t able to dawdle on the view for long, however, as a large figure dropped down from above, looming over the two of them.
“Wh-Who are you?” A human boy with snow white hair and soft purple eyes stood in front of them. He cautiously approached the pair.
“Hai!” Kirby energetically waved. “Didn’t know someone lived up here!”
“I don’t-” He shook his head with a sigh. A rainbow sword flew into his hand and he pointed it at Kirby. “What are you doing here? Who are you?”
“I’m Kirby!” Kirby grabbed the boy’s free hand and furiously shook it. “What’s your name?”
Kirby’s enthusiasm hit a soft spot. “... Noir.” He lowered his blade. “They don’t seem to be hostile…” Noir crouched down to Gooey’s level. A small, strained smile crossed his lips. “And what is your name?” He placed his hand on Gooey’s head, only to recoil backwards. He quickly got to his feet, sword flying to his side.
“Noir?” Kirby reached his hand towards him.
“STAY BACK!” He was visibly shaking. “You- you- you-! Dark matter…”
“Wh-what?! Gooey’s not like that!” Kirby bubbly explained.
“Liar…” Noir growled. “If dark matter could be good, then Adeleine… It’s your fault (it’s my fault). Why did you have to take her? (Why did I give her that stupid brush!?)”
Gooey cowered behind his parasol; a look of shame crossing his face.
“We don’t need to fight.” Kirby mumbled. He smiled wearily while looking at Noir. “We can just tal-”
“SHUT UP!”
Kirby’s eyes went wide seeing the sword pointed directly at him. “Is that…?” Kirby stepped closer. “Noir-”
“NO! I won’t let you dark matter… monsters leave this spot alive! I won’t…” Tears welled up in his eyes. “I won’t let you kill anyone else.”
“B-But your sword!” Kirby pleaded.
A dark smog covered his sword, masking all the light and color from it, and the clouds around the three of them turned gray.
Noir didn’t hesitate; his sword flew in the air and launched at Gooey. Kirby chucked a cutter blade, intercepting the blade. Kirby glanced at Gooey, not wanting to take his eyes off his opponent for too long. “Is it too late to reason with him?”
Gooey nodded, seemingly answering Kirby’s thought. He readied his parasol.
Looks like they weren’t doing this the easy way…
Noir raised his hand out, and the sword flew through the air like a hawk, dashing and swerving past the two of them, While Gooey was able to guard another shot with his parasol, Kirby used the opening to try and throw his cutter blade at Noir, only for the sword to come in and block the shot.
Kirby rubbed his head once the blade came back to him. Once the sword was coming towards him this time, he jumped out of the way. He threw another cutter blade behind himself, letting it barrel towards Noir on the return trip.
Noir just barely dodged out of the way, only to get smacked in the back multiple times by Gooey’s parasol.
“Get off of me!” Noir yelled, kicking Gooey off of him. Gooey was knocked back, and Kirby rushed to his side, throwing another cutter blade at Noir.
The sword knocked the blade into the ground this time. Noir loomed over the two of them, the blade raised into the air, but he stopped upon seeing their helpless faces. “Adeleine…”
Gooey tried to reach out to Noir, accidentally snapping him out of it.
Noir smacked Gooey away and grabbed his sword. “I won’t… give in.”
Kirby gazed at the sword with worry.
“Stop. Stop looking at me like that!”
Noir slashed at Kirby, but Gooey guarded him. Kirby dashed and grabbed his knocked away blade, throwing it back at Noir.
Noir knocked it back with more power than before, and Gooey smacked him across the head. “I’ve had enough of you.” He pierced the parasol and threw it to the ground.
“Gooey!” Before Kirby could react, Noir sliced at Gooey.
Kirby ran up behind Noir and hit him straight on with the cutter.
“Ack-!” Noir stumbled, holding his arm. “Having two of you is really annoying…”
Kirby stood in front of Gooey, on guard. “Gooey.” He whispered. “Head to Iceberg, I’ll catch up with you.”
Gooey furiously shook his head. “No! I can still help!”
While Kirby’s guard was down, Noir dashed to Kirby and hit him hard, causing Kirby’s copy ability to fall and break.
Kirby’s eyes furrowed. “I can’t hold back, or Gooey and I will…”
Noir prepared for another strike, but Kirby dodged. The impact of the sword hitting the ground formed stars that Kirby inhaled and shot back at Noir. “Ow, how?”
Gooey wrapped his tongue around the sword, trying to pry it out of Noir’s hands. Noir squirmed in an attempt to shake Gooey off, visibly avoiding touching him with his hands. Kirby reached for the sword too, but grabbed one of Noir’s gloves, pulling it off.
Noir froze as a purple, monstrous hand was revealed. Noir’s sword took advantage of this weakness, covering him in a dark fog. Gooey jolted and pulled Kirby away from Noir. Before Kirby could question Gooey, it became clear.
Noir’s shadowy form was cloaked with a cape. A visor was hastily wrapped around his eyes which now had a glazed over look. He was still human shaped, but dark matter was forming all over his body. Shadowy blades formed and shot at Kirby and Gooey.
Gooey grabbed one of the swords while Kirby inhaled three of them to shoot back Noir.
He didn’t even try to dodge, even when Gooey followed up, slicing him with his own manifestation. His arm raised like a marionette and grabbed Gooey.
Gooey looked at Noir. “You’re… actually a good person. I know that.”
“No…” Noir was barely audible. “I’m not.” He doesn’t seem conscious.
Kirby grabbed the broken parasol and whacked the sword out of Noir’s hand. He whacked the sword one more time for good measure.
The dark matter disputed, returning Noir to his original form. He slumped to his knees, tears falling as he clutched his chest. “Whatever you want to do to me, dark matter spawn… just do it. I’ve already failed at everything else in my life…”
“Noir…” Kirby peeped.
Gooey approached Noir carefully, who was gritting his teeth anticipating whatever Gooey was about to do. Gooey held his tongue high to reach Noir’s face and… lightly licked his cheek like a dog, getting the tears off of his face.
“What?”
“That’s just how he says hello.” Kirby beamed.
Noir hesitantly picked Gooey up and put him at his side. “You… really aren’t like most dark matter, are you? What even are you?”
Gooey rolled lightly in confusion. “I dunno.”
Kirby came to the other side of Noir, hugging him as best he could. “You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”
“It’s a long story, you wouldn’t want to hear it.” Noir scoffed.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Kirby told him.
Noir merely smirked at the two in response. “Thanks for that. Maybe I can tell you some other time.” He looked over towards Iceberg, at the spot where Kirby and Gooey were enjoying the view earlier. “You two should get going. I’ve wasted enough of your time.”
“You didn’t waste any time!” Kirby said. “You needed help, just like everyone else we’ve met here!”
“If that’s the case, then you did a pretty good job. I’ll see you when you get rid of dark matter once and for all, okay?”
Gooey nodded, and Kirby waved goodbye as they went their separate ways. “Alright, take care now! Don’t be a stranger!”
With a new friend behind them, Kirby and Gooey continued on their adventure.
(PS: Dess, could we post this on AO3? We will of course credit you for the AU)