Chapter Text
My life has always been one shrouded in mystery. Previously I had never felt the need to open up about my background. Nobody needed to know who I was, they only needed to know who I am. I am a warrior who lives in Dream Land, a stoic guardian who values honor and chivalry above all else, and a man who lives for the thrill of the fight. My upbringing was no one’s concern but my own, and even I wanted to avoid thinking about it as much as I could. I told myself that it was because it didn’t matter, that thinking about my past would only prevent me from moving forward.
Regardless of whether or not I truly believed that was the only reason, I’ve since grown past that mindset. I’ve learned to appreciate the value of reflecting on my background, of seeing how the hardships of the past have shaped me as a Kaabii, even if it pains me to think about them. Will I ever have the courage to share my story with the rest of Popstar? Perhaps, perhaps not. It’s too early for me to say.
I suppose, then, that the best place to start would be the place where all Kaabii begin their lives: atop a Warp Star, flying through space. I could go into detail about how a baby Kaabii is formed, but it’s a complicated subject, and not terribly important for understanding my story. All that really needs to be known is that we are born clutching onto Warp Stars as they travel through space in search of a suitable home for us. You could say that a Warp Star is to a Kaabii what an egg is to a bird, or a womb to a mammal. Kaabii can be found all across the galaxy, but my Warp Star just so happened to be flying above the planet Popstar.
It was decades ago, yet I remember it vividly. I opened my eyes for the first time just before my Warp Star entered Popstar’s thermosphere. There, I was able to get my first glimpse of the diverse landscape of my future home. From the bright green grasslands of Vegetable Valley, to the stark white snowscape of White Wafers, to the vast desert of Sand Canyon. It was almost overwhelming for my developing brain, but it still left me in awe. The view of Popstar from space was, to this day, one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. Woefully, I wasn’t able to enjoy it for long.
My Warp Star must have sensed that Popstar would be an adequate home for me, and it soon entered the planet’s atmosphere. Once it did, it immediately began to careen toward the surface, leaving me to hang on for dear life. My heart was racing while the Star burned up as we dropped from the sky at breakneck speed. Mind you, this is normal, and young Kaabii are protected from the aerodynamic heating when entering a planet’s atmosphere for the first time, though to this day nobody is quite sure how. In any case, I wasn’t aware of any of this at the time. All I knew was that the ground was rapidly approaching, and it appeared as though my life was about to end before it could even begin.
Fortunately, the same force that protected me from the aerodynamic heating also protected me from the impact. Once the Warp Star touched down, I tumbled across the ground in a manner that might have appeared painful from an outside perspective, but in actuality left me completely unharmed, if a bit shaken up.
For the record, when a Kaabii first arrives on a planet, people call it ‘riding in on the spring breeze.’ How they got such a fluffy analogy from such a violent occurrence, I’m not sure, but it is interesting to note.
It took me a moment to get upright again, as I was still reeling from the rough landing. As my vision began to adjust to the sunlight, I was able to get a sense of my environment. It was a grove of grass and trees within a mostly rocky area of Popstar. The small patch of greenery I was in was surrounded by towering mountains and rugged cliffs, many of which reached up into the clouds. A waterfall cascaded down into a small lake a few meters away from me. I gazed up in wonder at the sight, my heart still palpitating from the excitement of my landing. I would eventually come to learn that this region was called Yogurt Yard; the region in which I would spend my childhood.
My attention was soon drawn to the sparkling sound coming from behind me. I turned to see my Warp Star shimmering in the sun before it began flying away. I could only watch as the Star that brought me to this place slowly disappeared from sight, leaving me to fend for myself. Again, a natural development in a young Kaabii’s life, and one that didn’t bring me any sorrow, even at the time.
After a slight struggle finding my balance, I managed to get to my feet, and I began to toddle over to the nearby lake. Once there, I peered into my reflection, getting a look at myself for the first time. I was — and still am — dark blue in color, and perfectly spherical. I had short arms and purple feet, and my bat-like wings at the time were much smaller than they are now. My facial features were simple, only consisting of a pair of yellow eyes, a mouth, and pink blush on my cheeks. This… was me. This was who I was. Who I am.
I… am Meta Knight.