Chapter Text
“Meta, are you happy?”
It’s such a simple question, one Kirby has asked countless times to many of his friends, but it’s Meta who has to pause before answering. So many emotions flicker through his eyes, lighting up his eyes in a variety of colors before settling on his usual yellow. The only person Kirby has met to not be unreadable with a mask on.
“..I am content.”
Kirby let out a huge sigh and fell on his back. The grass barely cushioned his fall and his hair fell in his face making him blow out a puff upwards, with little to no help clearing his eyesight. This was so frustrating! Popstar was once again filled with the peace he, and many have come to adore, so why was Meta still so gloomy? Even when he offered to spar with him he got
rejected.
Meta never rejects an opportunity to fight!
Glaring daggers at the Halberd, Kirby finally felt the fight leave him and his hands unclenched the grass he gripped at. Compared to himself, Meta had a short list of what he enjoyed. Sweets, fighting, fixing up the Halberd, and that was the gist of it. He’s known Meta for years and yet here he was struggling to find something that would shake him from his gloomy state.
The idea of leaving him alone
isn’t
an option. Maybe he shouldn’t meddle in Meta’s personal life, but what kind of friend would he be to leave someone so close to him to suffer? Nope, that’s not happening!
He’ll just have to dig deeper, see what makes Meta happy and find a way to bring that happiness back to him! That is his new goal and he won’t stop until it’s fulfilled!
“There he is– hey Kirby!”
Kirby perks up at the familiar tone and pushes himself up, eyes lighting up when he sees Blade and Sword approach him. Giving a friendly wave, Kirby sits cross legged on the ground and slightly sways side to side as his friends approach. This is perfect! Who better to ask than two of the closest people to Meta? Surely they’ll know how to help him!
“Sir Meta said you just paid a short visit, you should’ve said hi to us!” Blade exclaims, putting his hands on his hips in mock anger. Kirby grins and then laughs when Sword walks over and ruffles his hair. “We were just on our way to run an errand, do you want to join us?”
Usually Kirby would go without a second thought if it meant spending time with those he cares for, but right now he had a mission to focus on.
Can’t get distracted.. This is for Meta!
“I’d love to, but..” Kirby trails off and sighs, propping a hand up under his chin and looks up at the knights with worry in his eyes. “Do you guys know if there’s anything wrong with Meta Knight? He keeps refusing to spar with me and when I brought him some of his favorite sweets he didn’t seem all too excited.”
Sword and Blade exchange looks, and Kirby doesn’t feel the comfort he was hoping for when the glances they share are the same concern he holds.
“We’re not exactly sure,” Blade starts, rubbing the back of his head. “Meta’s been pretty distant ever since he came back from his last sparring match in space.”
The only reason Meta ever leaves Popstar is to challenge the greatest warrior in the galaxy. Kirby’s only heard mentions of it, but Meta would never go into detail around him, only worn out anytime he’d catch him flying back down to the Halberd.
“Which is odd because anytime he’d come back he was always in a good mood,” Sword continues. “He would actually
smile!
Maybe it’s just me but I think something was going on–”
“Sword!”
“What? Am I wrong?” He raises an eyebrow, a hand on his hip. “He kept saying over and over how exhilarating it was to be around him!”
“Even so..” Blade shakes his head and sighs. “Nearly a month ago he came back in a somber mood and wouldn’t say what was wrong. Approaching the subject would only result in a stern gaze and an order that would have us leaving him to his own devices.”
That sounded very peculiar. But.. If he enjoyed all the time spent with the warrior why would he not see him again? Kirby’s heart dropped and his eyes glazed over with tears threatening to spill. Was Meta’s friend–
“Hey now, quit making that kicked puppy face,” Sword ruffles his hair and keeps his hand on his head as Kirby looks up to him. “It’s nothing like that. We thought the same and after Meta felt suspicious of us being, well,
decent
around him he told us nothing of the sort occurred.”
“Nothing like that can ever happen anyways,” Blade pipes up. “Nova always seals the warrior away before their fights have a chance of turning fatal, and it’s not like Meta would ever have a fight to the death unless it was absolutely necessary.”
Sword heaves a sigh, and rolls his shoulders. “It’s a shame considering Meta really seemed to like the guy, but there isn’t really anything we can do about it. It’s best to leave him alone unless you wanna provoke him.”
“I.. see.” Kirby deflates and has to stop himself from falling back down against the grass. That at least answered his question as to
why
Meta seems more reclusive than usual, but that only raised more questions. “You think he misses him?”
A quick,
“Who knows?”
and
“Don’t worry about it.”
is all Kirby receives. It has him puff up his cheeks, pouting and with newfound determination he moves his legs and jumps up off the ground. He’ll get Meta’s friend back no matter what! If Nova brought him into this world, then surely someone like him can do the same!
Plus.. He still had a free wish to use up. Before he had thought that maybe one day he’d go up and ask for an infinite amount of food but never did anything about it. It’s not like he ever went hungry in Dreamland, so why should he waste his wish on something that could be seen as selfish?
Now he can help Meta! He can get back his sparring partner and they can be happy down on Popstar with everyone! It’s such a foolproof plan
and
it has a happy ending, exactly what Meta needs!
“Thanks guys!” Kirby exclaims, rushing off in the opposite direction, twirling around to wave his arms at them. “I know exactly what I’m going to do now!”
Sword and Blade don’t have a chance to run after him to question his sudden optimism when his warp star is summoned and his destination is above the clouds and within the stars. The dark aura the Halberd leaves is left behind, in hopes it will become more of a home than a battleship.
It turns out this time finding Nova isn’t as complicated as his first time seeking out the wish maker.
It’s a bit jarring to Kirby when he hovers through space and almost runs face first into a gear. Startled and backtracking his warp star, Kirby grips it tightly and stares up at the emotionless, cat face of the mechanical comet. One eye remains closed and the other stares almost menacingly down at him, a part of the comet is missing from the last time he had battled it for the sake of Popstar, but it seemed Meta fixed it up enough to properly function. As amazing as Nova is, the power it is able to grant, the mechanical comet was all too eerie.
However, in the presence of the celestial Kirby did not feel fear.
This time no one would steal his wish.
“Ready. I will grant you one wish…”
“My wish is for Meta to be together with the strongest warrior in the galaxy! So that they can live in peace and be happy on Popstar– or they can travel together! As long as Galacta never leaves Meta’s side!”
“Ok. 3… 2… 1… Go!” Nova closes its eye and Kirby waits a beat. Then, suddenly in a flash both of Nova’s eyes flicker open and Kirby has to shield his face from the blinding light that emerges from the mechanical comet. Unlike the last time Kirby encountered Nova, he didn’t find himself drifting through space.
Instead, when his arms were lowered he found himself back down on the grassy, sunshine filled Dreamland. Confused, Kirby searched the area, a frown tugging on his lips as he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Did it not work..? Nova couldn’t have malfunctioned, could it? Meta had used it countless times to summon his friend so maybe it was only accustomed to the one wish? That couldn’t be right.
The idea of leaving once again to find Nova is Kirby’s next course of action, however there’s no need for it. Not when a pink crystal appeared before him, out of the air, as if teleported to him, revealing a person trapped inside of it.
Slowly it begins to crack, working its way up until there is nothing left of the crystal except a bunch of shards that burst away from the warrior. Kirby doesn’t have to evade the crystals when they become nothing but pink glitter harmlessly falling to the ground around them. His blue eyes widen and watch in awe at the beautiful angel wings that curl around his figure and fluff up, spreading out and sending forth a powerful aura around him.
The warrior touches the ground and moves his head around, his mask making him impossible to read. Like Meta, his eyes are the only thing Kirby is able to see; the bright brilliant ruby red eyes taking in the new area around them.
Kirby is ready to introduce himself, sporting a smile and wanting to welcome his new friend with open arms and lead the way to the Halberd, so that Meta can reunite with his friend again. However the warrior suddenly goes stiff, his posture tense and the hand holding his lance grips tightly around the handle. And then, as if he were going through an inner turmoil the warrior shakes his head, holding a hand to it with eyes that burn so fiercely now.
“Is something wrong?” Kirby pipes up, finally breaking the silence and snaps the warrior’s attention to him. “If you’re confused I can explain everything to you–”
“Child,” The man speaks, voice pained and bitter.
“What have you done?”
With red eyes now narrowed at him this was the opposite of what Kirby wanted. He by no means wants to fight, nor does it seem the warrior was ready to strike him, but what was with that tone? Maybe Nova filled him in on his new life?
But..
If they liked each other so much then shouldn't he be happy to be here?