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When it heard heated voices, Noir knew it should have turned back.
Perhaps it was a machine, but it knew that when emotions sounded like that, people were best left alone. The reports on the vehicles it had helped repair could wait. If King Dedede was in a foul mood, it wasn’t like he’d do anything with them right away.
But, because it had promised to deliver them, it walked to the doorway of the throne room with its folder of papers anyways.
“I’m sick ‘n tired of it, Meta!” shouted the king, no regards to who might be listening. “That giant robot Susie brought back fer scrap? Looked like yours truly!”
Noir could see now that King Dedede was jabbing himself in the chest with his thumb, digit buried in blue feathers. He was leaning forwards, staring daggers at Meta Knight, who was glaring right back.
“It means nothing!” Meta Knight insisted. “Nova probably simply copied your form because you are the king. You have the stature and power to be intimidating.”
“Yeah and look where that’s gotten me! Everyone an’ everything wants my image, my name, my actual body! I’m too weak t’ do anything about it! And I’m done with it! The possessin’ and the copyin’ and the stealin’! I’ve worked so hard t’ be a king Dreamland can be proud of, an’ all these… Imposters wanna smirch my name and likeness! It’s not fair!”
“Life ISN’T fair, Dedede!” Meta Knight was now shouting back, and Noir saw his wings flair in agitation, making him look much larger. “It isn’t. Trust me on that one.”
“Well it should be,” snapped King Dedede, but his voice had gained a sort of exhaustion, as had his face. “I hate it. The whole stinking deal of all… This.”
“Surely not all of it?”
“You don’t tell me what I mean an’ what I don’t!” In an instant, where Meta Knight’s voice had calmed down again, Dedede’s turned back into a snarl and his eyes flashed.
Meta Knight seemingly instantly knew that had been the wrong thing to say.
And then Noir dropped some of its papers.
The sound they made was negligible; they were paper, after all, but it was loud enough in the moment after Dedede’s words that they both turned to look at it. Noir felt itself shrink, head drawn into its shoulders; its friends were not frightening to it, but the looks on their faces were decidedly not happy.
Noir scrambled to pick up the reports it had dropped, glad to be able to look away from the expressions that it knew were not aimed at it, but made it nervous all the same. It had only been a part of life on Dreamland for about four months. Enough time to make friends, for sure; that hadn’t taken long at all, as soon as it proved itself trustworthy. The king and the knight, aside from Kirby, had been some of the first to get to know it. They were both confident enough in their judgement of character and ability to handle any threats that Noir hadn’t worried them. And they all got along quite well.
None of that stopped the curl of fear in its soul, though.
“An’ you!” Dedede shouted, stepping forwards. Meta Knight’s eyes widened and he grabbed at the king’s robe.
“Dedede no–”
“You’re jus’ like the rest! Why’d you hafta go and look like me, huh? Another damn copycat? Wasn’t it enough that there was already one Robo-Dedede? Why’d you go an’ make it two?”
Noir was frozen, one flash away from disintegrating and hiding in space. It could do nothing but hold Dedede’s gaze, which was angry and terrifying and deeply hurt. For the first time, Noir noticed that Dedede had teeth. It couldn’t answer his question. It wasn’t that it didn’t have an answer; no, it was the fact that its hands were shaking too hard to coherently sign anything.
It saw Meta Knight tug on the robe again, more urgently.
“What?!” Dedede snapped, whirling to face him again.
“You’re being unfair now. That is Noir, and all you have done right now is scare it.” Meta Knight’s tone was even and very, very dangerous.
A wisp of shame joined the fear that had grown stronger inside its chest. But… It watched as Dedede seemed to deflate, slumping into himself, feathers fluffing up unhappily.
“Shit,” he said, pressing his hands over his eyes. “Shit, that was so mean ‘f me. I…. I’m sorry.” He looked at Noir, no trace of anger on his face, just sadness. “I’m so sorry.”
It took Noir a moment to move, fingers clinging together in an effort to stop the shaking. Meta Knight began to move towards it, but Noir held a hand up, hoping the ‘give me a moment’ gesture came across. It could do this; it was okay. These were its friends, right? In a gesture it had copied from its organic friends akin to drawing a deep breath to steady itself, it raised its hands to respond.
<It is okay. You are allowed to be angry. I understand. I do not know your past; it seems troubled. But I understand what it is like to have your body stolen and likeness abused.> It paused, hands folded into fists for a moment before continuing. It had to explain. <I did not mean to look like you. You raced past me, one day, and seeing that race was the last happy memory I had before I was dismantled. My mind unwittingly copied your form when I was under attack. I did not… Choose this. If that helps at all.>
Meta Knight and King Dedede both were staring at it.
“... I feel even guiltier now, fuck,” mumbled King Dedede. “Noir, I… My behavior just now was awful. I was a straight-up class-a jerk to ya, and ya were just trying to help me out with my paperwork. You’re… You’re okay, Noir, no matter what or who ya look like. Can you accept my apology?”
Noir felt better. It nodded, trying its best to emote in a smiling sort of way with its eye.
King Dedede also smiled, in a sort of tentative way. “Thank ya kindly. I swear on my honor as the king of Dreamland I won’t do that shit again to ya.” He reached out, then, and Noir passed over the papers after scooping them off the floor for a second time.
<What are friends for, if not forgiveness?> it said, then. <After all. You all forgave me.>
“We did,” said Meta Knight, who looked less tense. “... I too am sorry for handling myself poorly.”
“Eh it’s alright, Meta. Stars know we’ve argued plenty. I am sorry t’ you too, though.”
“We have, yes, and your apology skills have increased markedly.”
Dedede huffed out a laugh, shoving the puffball gently. “Eh get outta here.”
<I should probably go. It will be night soon,> Noir said, making sure he had the attention of at least one of them.
“Eh yeah it is gettin’ late, ain’t it?” Dedede said, looking out the window. “Well. Have a nice night, ‘n all.”
<You too, both of you.> Noir turned, ready to ride its bike back to its house and then return to space, but before it could go, King Dedede spoke again.
“Oh, and Noir? Despite what I said earlier… It’s actually real nice having someone around who looks like me who’s a friend for once, y’know? I mean that.”
Noir looked back, smiling more obviously, and waved goodbye. Its friends waved back, and it continued on to find its wheelie bike waiting for it outside. It felt warm inside the whole way home.