Chapter Text
Meta knight turned off the TV, silencing the loud, boisterous voice of King Dedede. The old king had just turned all appreciation days into “days of hatred,” and he was getting tired of his foolish antics. Sword and Blade turned their heads back, and they watched the old knight get up from his seat, and walk towards the door.
“It’s time for my afternoon patrol. I’ll be around the castle if you need me.” He stated, a tired tone in his voice. To the average person, it just sounded like Meta Knight, but the two brothers knew better. They knew him too well, but they didn’t say anything. They also knew that Meta probably wanted to be left alone to de-stress, or to perhaps check up on Kirby or Fumu.
“Alright M’lord. Be careful.” The cyan knight affirmed, keeping his tone light and soft to ease the veteran. He looked to his brother, Blade, and he completed their shared thought.
“Just to be curious, what do you plan to do today Sir?” Blade inquired, his tone laced with a light worry about his boss’s mood change.
‘…I’m just going to take a patrol around the castle, and hopefully try to help Kirby if King Dedede tries anything. That is all.” He opened the large, wood door to the hallway that the three resided in, creating a mild creaking sound. “I shall see the two of you later.”
“Call us if you need help with anything M’lord!” Sword called out as the Star Warrior was leaving, and he let out a quiet reply.
“I will. Don’t worry.”
Meta Knight closed the heavy door, and he started down the hall, wrapped in his navy blue cape like usual. The green halls filled with the mild clanking of his armor with every step he took. As he turned the corner, something felt off about the day’s events, and he couldn’t stop himself as he started to slowly sink into his own thoughts as he patrolled the halls.
Something feels off about today.
Perhaps it’s the appreciation day feud, or maybe His Majesty is planning something.
Whatever it is, it will most likely involve Kirby.
If only he could give my little star a break.
He has to fight Nightmare soon, I can feel it in the air.
Why doesn’t he understand how important it is for a child like him to rest before a battle against the body and mind like that?
I guess I am the only one, besides those with more than half a brain.
Before he knew it, he had arrived at the castle dungeons. The air was freezing, and it was starting to grow thin. Most of the cells were empty, and the sound of dripping water filled the silence. Frowning under his mask, He turned his heel, and left the cold, thin air of the metal cells. He had lost track of time, and he decided to head back to his quarters, or to at least ask Waddle Doo, as their shifts often merged. As he was going back, he encountered a frowning Fumu and Bun in the halls.
“Fumu, Bun, it’s nice to see you two today.” He greeted, trying his best to sound friendly. He didn’t know what was going on with the two, and he wanted to at least get one of the two to smile before he let them go home.
“Sir Meta Knight. How are you?” The young Cappy girl asked, her voice laced with worry, and a slight anger.
“I’m good. What has got you two so upset? I know about the king and the “days of hatred,” but I’m not sure if that is exactly what’s upsetting you.”
“You got that right Sir Meta Knight! I’m worried of what the king might do…plus, this is probably a plan to get at Kirby!” Her brother insisted, waving his arms in the air.
“Most likely. I suggest you two keep close to him, or at least make sure he is not lured by something. If you need me, remember that I will almost always be in my quarters or patrolling around the castle. If you can’t seem to find me, then get Sword and Blade.” The old knight reassured the two young siblings, and Fumu made a shaky smile, knowing that no matter what, she can always ask Meta Knight for help.
“Thank you Meta Knight. See you later!” The two kids said their goodbyes, and headed home, and he too, went back to his room.
He opened the creaky wood door to his quarters, and his two knights jumped up, and they sounded extremely worried.
“M’lord! Where have you been? It’s been 4 hours!” Sword and Blade both went up to him, and they gestured to the clock. As they said, it was now 9PM, and he didn’t realize just how long he had been out.
“Oh. I’m sorry you two, I didn’t keep track of the time. Did anything happen while I was gone?”
“No, everything seemed to be in order. Did anything happen to you? You were out for a long while…did you have to help Kirby and Fumu?” Sword asked, now sounding much calmer now that his boss was home and safe.
“Nothing happened, I just got lost in my own thoughts.”
“Ah, happens to the best of us. Well, I’m going to close up shop while Blade goes for his late-night patrol, so if you want, you can try to get some sleep.”
“Thank you Sword, and yes, I shall take up that offer.”
“Goodnight sir!”
———
The next day…
Fumu heard commotion from near Kawasaki’s, and she ran over to investigate. When she, Bun, and Kirby ran over, she heard people shouting hurtful comments about the chef, and his…mediocre cooking to say the least.
“Hey, you suck at cooking!”
“Clumsy cook!”
“You should change your name to Kawa-sucky!”
She watched the orange chef walk outside, and a small hoard of pies got thrown at him, and everyone in the crowd surrounding him started to laugh. She hated seeing people get bullied, even if they deserved it, it made her sick to her stomach.
I know that Kawasaki is…not the greatest cook, but he has a heart! And feelings, like everyone else does! He doesn’t deserve this, no one does! It’s not fair to those who have done more good than bad! Im going to stop this, even if I get some hate thrown at me in the process. This has to stop!
“Enough already!” Her voice had a sharp edge to it, and she made sure she was heard over the loud laughing of the villagers. Everyone stopped in their tracks, and turned to look at the young girl, ready to hear what she had to say.
“Why are you all so quick to do what Dedede says?”
“Well, that is…” The mayor allowed Prof. Curio to finish his sentence.
“We got caught up in the moment…” Curio finished wearily, a small bead of sweat going down his face.
Fumu stepped forward, and she waved her hand, and gestured to Chief Borun, who was already sweating bullets.
“Tomorrow is Chief Borun’s appreciation day, or should it be another day of hatred?” She reminded everyone there that their only police force, would have to be hated tomorrow. The older chief raised his arms, and asked for forgiveness.
“Please forgive me…”
“Seriously, you all.” She put her hands on her waist, and Kirby stepped up next to her.
“You all should be ashamed of yourselves—taking an opportunity to bully someone just because someone told you to? Sure, Kawasaki’s cooking isn’t always the greatest, but he still has a heart, and feelings, like everyone else does! Plus, it’s not fair to hate and bully those who have done more good than bad! if this goes on, everyone in the village will eventually get a “day of hate,” and what will you do then? Will you finally understand what it’s like to be bullied and hated, or will you have some empathy before that happens?”
Everyone stopped in their tracks, and they understood the message that Fumu was trying to convey.
That should be good. Hopefully they take some time to think about their actions.
“Bun, Kirby, let’s go. I think they need some time to process what just happened.” She walked away, and gestured for the two to follow her.
——
Fumu and the other two were walking on a nearby trail, one of many in Pupupu land, and she was complaining about the quick decision of the villagers to hate on a poor chef like Kawasaki.
“Sheesh, everyone got so carried away.” She grumbled, and Bun added to her comment, with a similar tone of voice.
“Why are grown-ups so dumb?”
“Just because they’re old doesn’t make them adults.”
“Dedede’s even less mature than Kirby.” Bun grinned, and he put his hands behind his head.
“That’s probably true, but…hm?” Fumu turned around, and noticed that Kirby wasn’t there.
Bun turned as well, and they looked around the trail, trying to find any sign of the pink puffball.
“Kirby?”
——
Kirby was no longer with his two best friends, now chasing a watermelon in a net. He let out a series of happy noises, and didn’t seem to realize the two waddle dees and the General Waddle Doo leading him away. He ran through the forest, occasionally jumping for it. Finally, he jumped as high as he could, and he landed on the other side of the a bush in front of him. He looked up to see King Dedede and Escargon greet him with a cart filled with watermelons. His eyes sparkled at the sight, and he waited for the moment for when he could inhale each and every one.
“Kirby, I have the best present for you!” Dedede was standing on the back of the cart, carefully keeping his balance. He had his arms fully spread apart, and Escargon had the same stance, except he was closer to the front of the wooden vehicle.
“We’re returning the favor.” Escargon stated, a grin on his face.
“You can have all of these watermelons!” The old king was oddly happy to see the young Star Warrior, and he even had a smile on his face. Before he could stop the pink puff though, he started running for the cart, but thankfully, Dedede stopped him.
“W-wait! We should leave first so you can take your time eating.” The king smoothly lied, knowing that the watermelons weren’t actually “real.” They were bombs, each one having a timer.
“Wait for us to get down.” The snail next to him added, and the two slowly, and carefully, started to get off of the cart. Before they dropped back to the floor however, Fumu’s voice rang out, and the two stopped in their tracks.
“Something’s fishy!”
“Are those real watermelons?” Bun accused, his arms crossed across his chest.
“Let’s check to make sure.”
The two beings on the cart began to panic, and they begged for Fumu to not get any closer.
“Wait a sec!”
“S-stop that!”
Before anyone could react, Kirby jumped up, and he bit into a watermelon, and the rock that was holding the heavy, wooden cart in place, cracked. The wooden vehicle move forward, reaching a high speed rapidly. They were riding down a hill, and the cart had no intention of slowing down anytime soon. As the reached a corner, the cart crashed into a small group of rocks and boulders, and everyone flew out, landing in the nearby watermelon field.
“Ah! Your majesty! Th-Th-Th-Th-“
“Don’t exaggerate. It’s just a watermelon field.”
“Jeez, did you forget? They’re bombs.” The snail whispered into the old kings ear, and he panicked.
“Gah! Careful where you move!”
Kirby didn’t understand their panic, and went up to the nearest fruit, and he picked it up, ready to eat the whole fruit whole.
“Don’t do it Kirby!” The two siblings shouted, reaching their hands out and running to try and stop him, but it was too late. He swallowed the fruit whole, and the two raised their arms in a self-protecting stance. But, nothing happened. Everyone was watching in fear and anticipation, waiting to see if the bomb would go off. The two siblings seemed relived, and let out a heavy sigh as they watched the young warrior happily munching on their favorite food.
“Your majesty, the bombs have timers.”
“So what do we do?”
“Just c’mere for a sec...” Escargon gestured for the king to come closer, and he whispered into the other’s ear, and he gave the mollusk a thumbs-up.
“Good idea.”
“Hey, Kirby! I’m giving you all the watermelons here!” He shouted, using his hands to project his voice even louder.
“Inhale them all!” His right-hand added, crossing his arms.
The two kids protested, yelling at him to stop, but they couldn’t do anything. He proceeded to inhale each watermelon whole, thoroughly enjoying the sweet, juicy, deliciousness of each. The two watched in horror, frozen in fear for their best friend.
“Those watermelons you ate were bombs.” Escargon pointed at Kirby with finger-guns, and both him and King Dedede brought out a timer, and it was counting down from ten.
“10, 9, 8…”
“Kirby, spit them out!” Fumu yelled, her voice dripping with worry. Fear clawed inside her, as she couldn’t do more than to tell Kirby to spit them out.
“3, 2, 1…zero!”
The usually soft pink shade of the warrior started to quickly change, and he turned a bright, more red color, and he began to glow. He started to expand, and he opened his mouth, the bombs exploding inside him. The force of them shot him into the sky, eventually reaching Pupu Village.
——
The two finally caught up to Kirby, just as the pink puff landed on the streets of Pupu Village. He looked as though he had just been burnt while cooking, but he was alive.
“What in the world happened, Miss Fumu?” The mayor asked, concerned about what just occurred.
“He went too far. I won’t forgive him!” She didn’t bother to answer his question, but a plot was brewing in her brain.
“Yeah! The jerk Dedede has to be punished!” Bun added, pumping his fist.
“Right. I have just the idea.”
“Everyone, let’s discuss this real quick. We’re going to give Dedede what he deserves!”
——
Something is going on.
This feeling…what is it?
I know I’ve felt it before, but how? Where?
…when?
It feels like a memory lost to time…
I need to go on a walk.
“Sword, Blade, I’m going on a patrol around the castle. I just need some time to myself right now.” He looked up to see his two knights playing a small card game, and they turned their heads to look at their boss.
“Um.. alright sir! Please try to come back on time, it worries the heck out of Blade.” Blade gave his brother a glare, but quickly turned back to his lord. Sword observed the old knight’s actions, and noticed how anxious the other was.
“Be safe…alright?” Blade, alongside his brother, were both concerned. They had rarely ever seen him act like this, and they didn’t know what to do.
“Alright. I’ll be back before sunset.”
Meta Knight opened the heavy wooden door, and closed it, filling a small part of the deafening silence in the hallway. He wrapped himself in his navy blue cloak like he did yesterday, but this time, he was going to pass by the throne room, hopefully to get some intel on what happened in the village today.
He quickly made his way down the halls of the castle, his armor creating a mild clanking noise everytime he took a step. Once he made his way to the throne room, he stood silently behind a pillar, and became one with the shadows nearby. He waited for a couple of minutes, until he heard the loud, boisterous laughing of King Dedede, and Escargon by his side.
“That was exhilarating.” He stated, and he sat down in his throne, finger hovering over the call button for Holy Nightmare.
“When it comes to being evil, we’re geniuses.” Escargon added, going to the king’s left side.
“But I don’t want this to ruin my image.”
What is this…”event?”
What did they do to be so…cheerful?
“If it isn’t his majesty.” Customer Service immediately answered the king’s call, and the classic salesman appeared on the screen.
Of course. He probably did something nice, or just kind in general, and now he’s going to order a demonbeast. Classic Dedede.
“Huh? You’re kidding.”
What? I didn’t catch that-
“Add a pretty ribbon too.” Escargon caught Meta’s attention, and he was brought out of his thoughts.
“This doesn’t suit you...”
“Stop yapping! If you defy me, I’ll make a big deal off it at the next shareholder meeting!”
“Well then, it should just take a moment.”
“Make it quick.”
I wonder what they did…
Hold on, is that Waddle Doo?
“Your majesty, the mail!”
“What is it?” Escargon picked the card up, and started to read it.
“Let’s read it.”
“Oh? This is a funeral notification.”
“A funeral?”
“It is with our deepest sadness that we inform you our dear Kirby has passed away. The funeral will be held this evening.”
…what?
N-no..that can’t be right…!
What did those two do?
How could he…I…
T-this shouldn’t be possible…almost nothing can truly hurt him…right?
I mean, I never tried to hurt him, I just assumed that he was nearly invincible.
But…I might be wrong.
If he truly is gone then…
I…oh my nova…
Oh…oh no..
S-sword… I need to tell those two, now.
It had been over 20 years since Meta Knight had felt this way before, but he knew the exact feeling all too well.
Denial.
He rarely ever felt it. Most times…was during the war. Like when Knuckle Joe’s father died by his hand, or when Garlude sacrificed herself for Galaxia.
As soon as he got a chance, he ran down the halls of the castle, fear pulling him down like strings, and he eventually reached his room. He opened the door, and for the first time, Sword and Blade saw his eyes a solid grey. They jumped up, and they grabbed the hilt of their swords expecting to prepare for battle. What they didn’t expect, was for meta knight to look at his mitts, and give them the bad news of the century.
“K-kirby…h-he’s…gone.” He rasped, struggling not to cry. The two Knights dropped their swords, the loud clattering of metal ringing through the now freezing room.
“W-what?” They both asked, slowly walking to the Star Warrior.
“I…I heard it from the throne room…its s-said..”It is with our deepest s-sadness that we inform you our dear K-kirby has passed away. The funeral will be held t-this evening.”
“Oh...oh no…”
“I…he…” the two knights came closer, and noticed that he had started to breathe extremely rapidly. He clutched his mask, pulling as hard as he could on it, trying to pull it off, just so he could breathe. His vision was flashing between black and fading, and small, choked sobs filled the room. Sword and Blade kneeled, and the green knight carefully unbuckled the strap on the other’s mask, and Meta ripped it off, tossing it across the room. He was now breathing in deeper, and hot tears streamed down his face. His uneven breaths were now even more panicked, and the two knights were dumbstruck. They had never seen the “stoic and stern” knight be so…scared before. None of them knew how to comfort him, so they did what they thought could work.
Blade hugged his side, and the blue puff shifted, facing him now. He hugged him back, clutching their armor, shaking and silently sobbing.
“He’s not gone…I…please, please, tell me he’s not dead…my little star… he c-can’t be gone..”
“I..um…(Blade, I’m going to find that funeral, see what’s going on…if he’s right then…we won’t have anything left. Stay here and make sure he doesn’t die either, please.”) Sword whispered into Blade’s ear, and he nodded.
Sword picked up his sword from off the floor, and he set off to find the funeral. He ran though the halls, occasionally bumping into the average waddle dee. once he got out of the castle, he noticed almost all of Pupu Village wearing black, and all of them had somber faces. He ran into the forest nearby, and watched the interaction between Fumu and the King, who had gotten there a few seconds after Sword did.
“W-what happened?!” The king asked, breathing heavily from the running he did in the castle to get to his car.
“Kirby, he..”
“Even he couldn’t survive all of those bombs..” The mayor finished Fumu’s sentence, his voice strained with sadness.
Sword recoiled, and he had never run as fast as he did before, not even in his prime. He was practically flying, and all he could think was,
“I can’t believe he’s gone…”
——
As soon as Sword left, Blade rubbed circles into Meta Knight’s panicked body, and he gently picked him up, and set him down on his bed. The old knight had thankfully, calmed down a bit, and was now sniffling. He wiped his tears away from his face, and he finally let himself sink into his own thoughts.
Kirby isn’t dead. He just can’t be.
It has to be fake…right?
Yes...Kirby isn’t dead.
He has to be alive, he just has to be.
He can’t be gone.
He isn’t gone.
I won’t let him be gone, not before I go.
I have to see him grow.
But what if he really is gone?
What do I do now?
I…I…
I don’t know.
“Sir? Are you okay?”
Blade’s voice was soft, and the quietness of it eased Meta Knight, even though it was a little bit. He turned his head, and he gave out a heavy sigh.
“I…I don’t know. I don’t know w-what to do.”
“And you never will.”
“W-what?”
“I said, neither do I. This is all…so sudden.”
that..didn’t sound like Blade.
That was someone else, wasn’t it?
Could it be…
…
There’s no doubt.
It was Nightmare.
“Blade, I wasn’t the only one who heard that, right?”
“What did you hear?”
“Someone…they said “and you never will.” After I said that I didn’t know what to do.”
“W-what? Why would anyone say that?”
“I think I know who it was. Nightmare…he’s trying to get in my head…because I’m vulnerable right now. Because I made the effort to…to actually be there for my son.”
“It’s okay, we’re all a little shaken up.”
“But it’s not! I-I should’ve protected him, or at least done something—anything! Why did I have to fail him like this…” Meta knight teared up again, and he curled into himself, trying to keep his breathing steady.
“Meta, please try to calm down…we can’t lose you too.”
“I-I know but…now I’m weak. Like I always have been. It’s all my fault.”
“We all know that isn’t true. Maybe, you should get some rest. I think we all need to process this. I’ll wake you up when Sword comes back, okay?”
“I’ll try. Just please, when Sword comes back, please, please, tell me that…that he isn’t gone..”
“Alright. Now please, I want you to get some rest. It will…help, at least a little bit.”
“I…I hope so.”
———
Oh you poor, poor knight.
You failed to protect those you loved.
Who will you have now?
There is no one.
Your son is gone, your partner is long dead, and you have nothing left.
Do you have any regrets?
If so, I can help you..
Nightmare’s voice brought Meta knight into a dream, but he was in a void. He could feel nothing at all, there was no floor, no walls, and all there was, was a phantom feeling of a cold, foggy night. He looked around, and he saw that it was all pitch-black, except for a small red light above him.
“W-what do you want from me now?” He yelled into the darkness, trying to communicate with his creator, but he got no response.
“A-answer me!”
Tsk tsk tsk, so rude.
You haven’t changed at all, have you Meta Knightmare?
You are still the same stupid, weak, and adorable-looking “Star Warrior.”
But you never have been a real “Star Warrior” have you?
You made many of your friends and family die, because you weren’t strong enough to protect them.
“Y-you’re just trying to get in my head! I k-know how you work Nightmare, you can’t fool me!”
But I can. You of all people should know how strong I have become. I can even manipulate you, my own creation, with ease. Especially with how you are right now.
“D-don’t even try it!”
And why not? After all, you basically have nothing left. Your student is dead, it was all of your fault, and everyone knows it. You practically were the one to kill him.
“S-stop it!” Meta Knight’s eyes were shining a greyish red, and he was starting to shiver. The distant cold was now beginning to make it’s appearance, and it felt as though it was slithering around him. it circled around his feet, occasionally inching closer. As soon as it touched, he suddenly felt ice cold, his feet freezing. The slithering being slowly tried to wrap itself around his round shape, and he tried to shake it off. He could hear Nightmare’s cold laughter in the distance as he attempted to claw his way out, but he was losing energy. It was draining him, and he began to gasp for air. He felt the oxygen in his lungs rapidly leaving, and he was left on floor, shaking and struggling. As he blacked out, he heard a faint voice calling to him.
B…Blade….?
Oh nova, Sword is back…
Thank the heavens he’s back…
He forced himself to wake up, using the last of his power to break out of the hold that Nightmare placed on him. He felt the air returning to his lungs, giving him energy by the second. He eventually gained enough power to open his eyes, waking up to a somber, worried Sword and Blade.
“Kirby…he…” Blade began, but he couldn’t finish, his voice shaky.
“…no…”
“I…” Sword trailed off, but the message was across.
Kirby was dead.
And they couldn’t do anything about it.
Meta covered his mouth, and he clutched the blanket, hot tears running down his face. Sword and Blade sat down next to him, all three silently shedding tears. Kirby had meant so much to the three of them; they were practically his family. They had tried so hard to protect him, but they failed. Nothing could be done now, and it was clear that Nightmare now had the upper hand.
They tried so hard, but they had failed.
Or so they thought.