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The heat was ruthless. Sunlight was beating down on the knight's dark clothes and armor as he fended off some Awoofies and other Beast Pack members from the cowering waddle dees. He swung Galaxia swiftly and dodged attacks just as fast. He could feel sweat rolling down his skin behind the mask, which was starting to feel more like a facial sauna. But he did not heed it any mind, as he was much more focused on saving the innocent creatures behind him.
After scaring off the lot and watching them flee, Meta Knight sheathed his sword and turned to check on the two dees. They appeared to be mostly fine, just a few scratches. He came in the nick of time. They started thanking him profusely, which the knight quickly waved off and asked if they could get back to town on their own.
Unfortunately, they couldn't. They were beyond lost in this new sandy area. They weren't sure how they would get back. So Meta Knight had to take on the mission of guiding them back.
The trek so far, while uneventful, was grueling. The sun wasn't letting up on them one bit. It continued to boil them all in their own sweat as they headed towards the nearest place to rest. It would be nightfall soon enough and the waddle dees would definitely be too tired to keep going. They would have to set up camp in the first best location they found. Until then, his two charges would have to share his cape that he offered up for some protection from the sun. He himself had to make the best shade he could with his wings, which only worked so well.
Finally, after hours of walking, the three found themselves some sort of shelter. A broken down storage container of some kind. It would do fine.
They made themselves as comfortable as possible inside, since it was too late to do anything else. Meta Knight shared a bit of his water with the waddle dees, but decided against taking a sip himself. He needed to save it, just in case.
As the sun began to set, the warrior was standing outside for a glimpse around. He had to stay up in order to keep watch. Who knew if the Beast Pack was lurking around there somewhere. They could sneak up on them whenever. He had to be prepared to defend them again.
"Hey. Are you sure you need to be awake? How would they find us in such a big and empty desert?" One of the waddle dees asked as they walked up behind him and put a hand on his back. He sighed and turned his head slightly to look at them.
"They can probably track you down. They sure seem the hunter type. You can never be too careful in a situation like this."
"Couldn't we just take shifts? As long as one of us is awake, they can warn the others" the second waddle dee suggested as they were getting ready to sleep.
But Meta Knight shook his head. "You both must be exhausted from the chase and the walk. You'll need the rest. I'll handle it for you. Not to worry."
They both looked at each other with uncertainty, concerned for the man that had saved them. But neither one wanted to argue with him. So the first one just sighed in resignation and accepted it. "Alright. If you say so. But please tell us if you're not feeling well or getting tired."
"Of course. Now rest. We still have a bit to go before we reach the sea. Then it's just a simple boat ride back. I spotted a motorized boat when flying over there, so you should be back home safely soon."
They nodded before settling in for a proper sleep.
Despite what he said, Meta Knight did not bring up any of his troubles with the two. He just sat out front, patrolling the hole in the container from any potential threat, never letting his guard down. He refused to admit it to himself, but he was also tired. He felt drained from flying over the desert, fighting that group of animals in the sweltering sunshine and then walking through that same heat with very little protection from it.
Even right then, as the last glimpse of that huge burning star disappeared from sight, he could still feel his body stinging from its merciless assault on his skin. It was definitely better from the midday sun, but nothing he could consider refreshing.
Speaking of refreshing, he felt very parched. His mouth was starting to get drier and drier, his tongue feeling like it might shrivel up. His throat felt coarse, not enough to be painful, but enough to notice. Maybe he should take a drink. Even if just a little. It might go a long way to fix the uncomfortable dryness.
He reached towards his cape and pulled out the flask, looking at its contents. Half-empty. Or maybe he should think half-full, since that's at least something. He unscrewed the cap and carefully tilted the flask back so he only got a small sip of water, making sure he still had plenty left. But once he swallowed, it made him want more. The sensation of the fresh, clear liquid moisturizing his mouth and throat made him want to chug the rest of it too.
The knight scoffed at that greedy instinct, screwing the cap back on whilst chastising himself for such a selfish desire. He'd be fine. It wouldn't be for long. They will hopefully find somewhere to refill tomorrow, so no need to overindulge.
"... You'll be fine. You're a strong warrior. You've survived worse than this. The waddle dees need it more" he assured himself as he put the water away, already feeling his survival instincts plead for more. But he ignored it.
Which wouldn't be hard, since something else caught his attention. In the distance, he saw something. A faint light, peeking up over a hill before disappearing again. Meta Knight immediately got up to his feet and hovered his hand over Galaxia, prepared to fight if he needed. He watched intently for any more sign of movement, as if ready to draw as soon as he did.
The light did show itself again, this time more obvious and not immediately vanishing. He continued inspecting it, wanting to know if it was some sort of lantern or torch. Could be carried by one of the beasts.
But then, instead of steadily moving along the desert dunes, the light flew up into the air and aimlessly flitted about like a bee. That confused him. Was the light not connected to a source? If it was held by someone who could fly, surely he'd be able to see their silhouette at this distance. But he only saw the lone gleam.
He should be concerned by that, since this was absolutely abnormal and could be more dangerous than a simple Awoofy. But… he just felt curious. It intrigued him. The way it moved, almost floating through the air effortlessly. The glow it was emitting, leaving a small trail of light behind it like a shooting star. It was kind of pretty. And it got even more pretty as it began to move closer. It was soon flying only a few meters away from him, still fluttering around in such a whimsical way.
It seemed to just be a small orb of light, shining pleasantly in the darkness of the night. It had looked a lot brighter before when it was far away, but now it was glowing like a ball of magic, almost appearing to sparkle as it hovered in front of him.
It flew over to Meta Knight and circled him quickly a few times before going back to where it was. He could only watch and gawk in amazement at the display, so captivated that his combat-ready stance had turned into idle standing. He felt no need to be on guard, this light seemed harmless. It was just floating there, it wouldn't hurt anyone.
It started to slowly fly back towards where it came before stopping, as if it was making sure Meta Knight was still watching it. It must want him to follow it. Well sure, he could do that. It seemed friendly enough and he wanted to continue admiring it, so of course he followed after it as it led him away from the waddle dees, who he forgot about completely. It just slipped his mind as he was far too curious about the beautiful light to think about anything else. The puffball just walked after it as it led the way for him. It felt so easy to do, despite his previous exhaustion. It was like he forgot about that as well, which caused it to not exist anymore. He just felt so enchanted by the glowing orb.
Eventually, after a few minutes of walking, which felt like no time at all, he noticed something up ahead. It was an oasis. Normally that would be a big discovery. He found water! They could get some more before they continue their journey tomorrow.
But none of those things were even a concern to him. He couldn't remember his mission or their need for more water. He could only think about how pretty it looked with its greenery and stillness, perfectly reflecting the night sky on its surface.
The light flew over towards the oasis and hovered over it. Meta Knight followed it quickly and watched it dance around right above the water, causing gentle ripples to spread out across it. The ripples appeared almost bioluminescent, illuminated with this calming blue glow. It was mesmerizing. So beautiful. He couldn't stop looking. He just stood at the edge of the oasis as its stillness was ever so gently disturbed. It was like art, like a painter with a canvas or a musician with their instrument. He could only admire it as it wavered and moved in such captivating ways.
The warrior's mind felt calm. He was at ease. For the first time in a long while since being pulled into this new world, he felt peaceful. The light was just so magical and soothing, unlike the scorching sun. It didn't cause him any harm or hardship, only provided him with illumination. It was kind, merciful to his sore skin and tired body.
Then, out of nowhere, the magic glow zipped down and plunged into the water. It disappeared completely, making Meta Knight gasp and run over to check where it went. Was it alright? Why did it do that?
But his questions quickly disappeared from his mind as he saw the light reappear underneath the surface, making the water glow so prettily. He was once again spellbound by the sight, staring with wide, mesmerized eyes at it.
Then, he noticed another light appear a little further away. Then another one. And another. And another. And another. Suddenly there were multiple shining lights illuminating the oasis and making it look enchanted. He watched it, slack jawed and blank. It was hard to do anything but that. With every new magic orb, more and more of his thoughts clouded over with soothing tranquility. It was the most amazing thing he's seen and it awed him to the point of mindlessness.
The lights began to slowly move about, their shapes distorting slightly in the wobbly image of the water. They all blurred and merged together, slowly speeding up until they were all just one big swirling mass in the shape of a spiral. Meta Knight released an empty headed hum at the sight, finding it so gorgeous, so captivating, so entrancing. He found himself swaying from side to side as he stood at the edge of the oasis, just watching the show and letting it take his thoughts away. He didn't even blink, feeling some strange pull at the back of his brain that had him leaning forward ever so slowly as the whirlpool had him totally enraptured. It enveloped him by his mind and coaxed him closer… closer… closer…
SPLASH
The knight's body suddenly felt so fresh, like a soft breeze swept across him and cooled him off. The previous discomfort, which only then came back to his memory, was soothed by the rejuvenating sensation surrounding him. It made him feel so much better, sighing softly in satisfaction. He didn't even take notice of the fact that he was sinking into the water that he had previously been admiring, or that he was somehow able to breathe still.
He couldn't think. He couldn't reason. His mind was just filled with dazed whimsy as he looked around at all the lights passing by him on his way down, circling him and hypnotizing him further. He was sinking. Sinking into the oasis, sinking into a trance, sinking into bliss and tranquility.
Down…
Down… …
Down… … …
Until he reached the bottom. He landed on his side before rolling over to his back, staring back up at the lights above him, still twirling around in that beautiful, attention grabbing manner. It was absolutely stunning. Meta Knight felt his eyes unfocus while he watched, getting dizzy from all the spinning around and around and around. But it was so nice too.
The water felt like being surrounded by this healing, calming aura. It was numbing, taking away the sting of the sun and the headache of his fried, exhausted brain. And falling down into it felt like he was physically sinking into a deep, deep, deep trance. Floating down further and further until he was as deep as he could go.
The puffball simply laid at the bottom of the spring, soaking in the pleasant sensation and absent-mindedly observing the light show while his vision blurred and wavered. He was at peace. Everything was peaceful. His body, soothed. His mind, quiet. His heart, gentle and slow.
With one more sigh, he let his remaining bit of consciousness float away from him. He was in complete serenity. Total bliss.
*~*~*
…
…
…
…
… Something was poking him.
Meta Knight groaned softly at the sensation of a nub, jabbing into his side insistently. His mind began to stir from its hibernation, so sluggish and confused. He wasn't sure what was happening, what time it was or even where he was. He just knew that he was… a little damp.
"Meta Knight! Are you ok? Hey! Wake up!"
He finally managed to lift his heavy eyelids and looked towards the vague shape of a waddle dee. A waddle dee? Was that Sailor Dee perhaps? Maybe something happened on the Halberd.
So the puffball sat up and rubbed his eyes under his mask, grumbling quietly, "Is something wrong, Sailor Dee?"
"S-sailor?"
Shaking his head to clear the fog from his brain, he realized he wasn't talking to Sailor Dee. He was talking with one of King Dedede's subjects. Right. He remembered now. He rescued two of them and was guiding them back to town in this strange new world.
"S-sorry. I was… confused. What happened? Where am I?"
"You just disappeared! We woke up to find you gone! We started looking around for you and saw your sword on a hill, then found you sleeping beside this lake!"
He rubbed his head and looked at them, perplexed by the last comment. He turned to look to his other side and saw the second waddle dee, drinking some water from this spring.
"Wh-what? Where did…? H-how did I get here?"
"Y-you don't know?"
"No. I can't remember. All I recall is… feeling thirsty and hot. I was tired. Then I… saw… stars? I felt… nothing, except I think I could feel myself moving. I remember experiencing this sensation of awe and admiration, then happiness and calm. But I… I really can't seem to remember anything else."
The two dees looked at each other in concern, also not sure what could have happened to Meta Knight while they slept.
"Are you… hurt?" The one by the water asked nervously.
"No… I feel extremely revitalized."
"Well that's good, right? And hey, we found water, so it's all fine, right?"
He lowered his gaze, giving it one last shot at recollecting last night's events. He did seem to remember something about water. Like… bathing in it? No, that's not right, right? He would remember doing something like that. Plus he wouldn't bathe in a potential source of drinking water, it made no sense.
He shook his head to dismiss the thought before getting up to his feet. "Yes. I believe it's all fine. I must have simply fallen asleep and… possibly sleepwalked here. Sounds like the most reasonable explanation."
"Yeah! That sounds right! Anyway, let's fill up that flask of yours so we can get going again!"
"... Yes. Let's do that."