i wrote this a while ago and just now decided to upload it. i have no immediate plans to continue it, since i'm working on other things, but i think it functions all right as a one-shot. after finishing my other projects, i might return to it if i have inspiration. if anyone else wants to use the idea, feel free to.
note: i posted something under the same name with this premise years ago but took it down, so if you're having deja vu, that's why.
Fumu crept upon her target with all the stealth of a tiger. Her arms were beginning to ache from holding their bent form for so long, but she weathered it with sweat beading on her forehead. Ahead of her, the creature looked unaware.
It looked that way, but when she was two feet from the flower and preparing to swing her net, the butterfly decided it was time to move on and flew away. She groaned and dropped the net, propping her fists against her feet. She pouted at the orange fluttering shape as it fused with the blue of the sky.
"That was the only one of that species I've seen all summer," she said to herself. She was alone on the hill, the untended grass reaching her stomach. It was a still day. The humid air felt like soup. The only reason she was out was to indulge her newest hobby-catching and categorizing Pupupuland's insects, something nobody seemed to have ever done since there were no books on the subject.
It was past noon, and her stomach had been complaining for twenty minutes. She suffered a sharp gnawing in her gut, realizing the full extent of her hunger now that she wasn't focused on something. She shook her head, retrieved her net, and trekked home.
The hill was close to Pupu Village. She found her brother and Kirby in the square with lollipops. The younger of the pair squeaked and ran over to her; she'd left in the morning, so they hadn't seen each other all day. She didn't realize that until he jumped over and tackle-hugged her, almost sending her to the ground.
She giggled. "Hello Kirby! Did Bun buy you that candy?"
"He tried to get me to buy, like, the whole aisle!" Bun said. "Where you been anyway, Sis?"
"I've been studying Pupupuland's native fauna," Fumu replied.
Bun stared at her-well, he probably did. "Fauna?"
"Animals, Bun! Read a book sometime."
"If all books were like comics, then I would." He glanced down at Kirby, who had dislodged himself from Fumu by now, and grinned cheekily. "Hey, want to go scare the sheep?"
"Poyo?"
"Bun! Those are Mayor Len's prized flock. Don't do anything that could hurt them." She leaned towards him. "Our country's economy relies on that flock."
He held up his hands defensively. "Hey, it wasn't gonna be anything that bad! Just…like…jumping out from behind a bush. Or-or getting a horn and blowing it at them."
Fumu folded her arms. "Stress reduces the quality of-"
"That's cool bye Sis!" Bun yelled, grabbing Kirby's paw and running past her. He darted into the distance, and Fumu was so shocked by his sudden departure that she didn't think of following until he was already far ahead.
"Kids, seriously…" She shook her head and walked to the convenience store-she wasn't really hungry enough for a meal, and Mama probably made lunch a while ago.
She bought a granola bar and munched it while she meandered around town, wondering what she should do. Life was lackadaisical since Nightmare's defeat last year. The first anniversary was coming in a few months, and she supposed that would be the next dose of excitement in her life. She was glad that HNM was no more and the Emperor of Darkness was vanquished, but she admitted things were dull without something to get her blood pumping. Maybe she'd become a bit of an adrenaline junkie after all.
She ended up spending the brunt of the day reading, writing reports on what she'd discovered-nothing much, besides how disappointing butterfly-catching could be-and walking around. The heat was more tolerable when she had the option of shade.
When the shadows grew long and the sky blushed orange, she started thinking of food again. She was leaning against a storefront, watching a particular cloud and letting her thoughts wander. Food drifted in and out, and that made her think of Kawasaki, which made her think of the last time she had the stomach flu, which made her think of virology and hospitals…
"Poyo!"
"Hiya, Sis!"
She turned and watched Bun and Kirby run up. They looked dirty, and she could only smile wryly. "Mama's going to throw you in the bath as soon as you walk through the door."
"Probably." He stopped before her, huffing. His cheeks were red like he'd been running for a while. "The shepherd boy caught us and we had to run like crazy. Right, Kirby?"
"Poyo." Kirby blinked at Fumu. "Watermelon."
It had become his word for "I would like some food right now," but it sounded so funny she had to laugh. "Dinner's probably on. I was going to head back, so let's go together."
They began walking. Fumu grew bored, but she would never be tired; of spending peaceful time with her loved ones, of the pink clouds on a fierce orange and scarlet background, of Pupupuland.
The Waddle Dees on duty lowered the bridge for them. Even Dedede had calmed, after he realized CS was never going to answer the phone again. He had returned to being the king she remembered from her early childhood-belligerent and stupid, but harmless. Being connected with demon beasts had made him more aggressive, had bloated his sense of superiority to further heights, and without them he was like a deflated balloon, inert and uninteresting.
So, when he glared at the trio and squawked at them about "don't let that Kirby in here-zoi!" Fumu ignored him, like she did every day, and continued towards her home wordlessly. The castle had been rebuilt down to exact brick placement, which astounded her, but Dees were apparently very talented architects. The ones Dedede managed to latch onto were, anyway.
Fumu was right twice. Dinner was simmering on the stove, scents of green onions and chicken filling the entire apartment, and Mama did not let Bun and Kirby take two steps before herding them into the bathroom with a cry of "My word, you two stink!"
She sat on the couch next to Papa, listening to the whining protests of Bun. Kirby was more pleased with the arrangement, squealing happily, and was likely the source of all the splashing.
"So what did you do today, Fumu?" Papa asked.
"Oh, I went butterfly hunting," she said. "Other than that, not much."
"Hmm…you sound disappointed." He stroked his mustache and looked at her thoughtfully.
She blinked, then sighed. "Well, I'm just bored, I guess. It's hard to adjust to a normal life after everything I've been through."
Papa nodded. "That's true. You had many adventures. Mama and I are most pleased that they are now over, though."
"About that, Papa…" She wringed her hands. "I was thinking about going exploring. Further out."
"Nothing wrong with a nice hike every now and again!"
"No, I mean…" She took a deep breath. "Kirby managed to defeat Nightmare with my help, but at the rate he's growing, he'll still need me for a long time. Longer than I'll be alive, actually. So I wanted to explore with him and see if there was some way to help him."
Papa's brow turned in concern. "You aren't going to leave the country, are you?"
"No," she said. "There's plenty to look at here, after all. We have a Kabu. Who knows what else might be hidden here? But I'd end up going to Bababagahara at some point, and the eastern woods, and other dangerous places. And yes, when I get older, I might take him north. Some of the demon beasts we fought got away. There's still work to be done, and I would like to keep helping somehow. Maybe I'll join the GSA someday."
Papa looked like he'd had the wind taken from him. He placed a hand on his chest and glanced at the bathroom door. "It's a good thing Memu isn't out here…she would have fainted. That was quite a lot to take in!"
"I'm sorry."
"It's all right." Papa stroked his mustache again. "You've always been curious and stubborn, but you've got a good head on your shoulders. I think whatever you do, you'll be all right. We can't worry that much about you when you have a Star Warrior at your side." He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder, looking sad and sympathetic at the same time. "But don't do things too fast, all right? You're still a child, and a child who had to spend two years fighting a war at that! Just be sure to pace yourself, my dear."
Fumu nodded. "I will." She hadn't intended to have an in-depth talk with her father, and she didn't even realize the depth of her hunger for adventure until those words came out of her mouth. It was unplanned and raw and spontaneous. She liked the feel of it.
Mama and two freshly-cleaned boys came out of the bathroom. It was time to eat, so everyone sat down and enjoyed themselves. Kirby had learned it was mean to steal other people's food, so he restrained his inhaling to his own plate.
"Kirby, I was thinking we check out Kabu tomorrow," Fumu said.
"Poy-bu?" Kirby had also taken to mimicking more of her speech, and almost always it was her speech, not others'.
"Yeah. Meta Knight said it's a Star Warrior hospital, right?" She waved her fork around. "But it's so small on the inside! I bet there's parts of it we've never seen before."
"Let's go there tonight!" Bun almost jumped out of his chair.
"I can't, Bun," Fumu sighed, rolling her eyes.
"What? Why?"
"Because I'm measuring fireflies tonight to see how small or how big they can get."
Bun's frown was immense. "Eh?"
Mama and Papa chuckled. They must have thought of the banter as another form of entertainment.
True to her word, after dinner when the sun went down, Fumu went down to the courtyard to catch fireflies. She measured about thirty before growing too tired to continue. As she turned to enter the castle, she glanced up to see two yellow dots.
She had to talk to Meta Knight sometime about her plan. She could do that tomorrow. She expected him to be behind the idea, but he could be unpredictable.
As she got ready for bed, Fumu found herself hyped up on some kind of unidentifiable energy. Deciding to do something different must have effected her mind. So she kept her bedroom light on for a while longer, writing first her report and then taking time to jot down a list of ideas for places to take Kirby.
There was a knock at the door. "It's open," she said. As if thinking of him summoned him, Kirby walked in.
"Fumu," he said.
She smiled at him. "What is it, Kirby?" But she could already guess-he'd had separation anxiety lately, a common phase for toddlers to go through, and often wanted to sleep in her bed. She wasn't sure what else to do about it-she didn't want it to develop into a problem, but from she read babies grew out of separation anxiety-so she allowed him in whenever he wanted.
Kirby entered the room and bounced over to her desk, trying to look at what she was doing. Fumu tilted the paper for him to see.
"It's a list of places I'd like to go," she said. "I was thinking about exploring all of Pupupuland. How does that sound?"
"Pu-poyo!" Kirby exclaimed, jumping.
She chuckled. "Exciting, right? We're going to check out Kabu first thing tomorrow morning."
"Poyo poyo." Kirby hopped onto her bed and jumped, squeaking as his head nearly touched the ceiling. It was a good thing he was lightweight or he would have broken the bed with his exuberance.
Fumu watched him for a few moments, giggling, then turned to put her things away. "We should get to bed, so we have plenty of energy for tomorrow."
Kirby agreed, giving an exaggerated yawn before burying under the blankets. Fumu turned off the light and climbed on next to him; it was pretty warm, but not intolerable. She snuggled into the blankets and drifted off with thoughts of potential new discoveries and adventures in her head.
She woke to a loud crashing noise. Her eyes opened to placid darkness and for a moment she thought it was just a startling conclusion to her dream-which she couldn't remember anyway. Then she heard another boom, this one not too distant, and sat up.
"Kirby, wake up," she said, shaking him. His blue eyes glinted in the low moonlight and he seemed as clueless as she was. Another boom echoed outside, rattling the window a little, and Kirby shivered with inexplicable fright.
Fumu threw the blankets off and moved to the window. Her eyes widened in shock and terror.
Pupu Village was on fire. The flames engulfed every inch of the town, and she could see more blazes further out. Destrayers swallowed the sky, their odd green lights like constellations. There wasn't one over Dedede Castle yet, but it was a matter of time, she was sure.
"We have to get down there!" she said, running out of her bedroom to see her family standing at the balcony.
Her mother looked pale. "It's like that day all over again," she said, fan to her face. "Except now Sir Meta Knight doesn't have the Halberd."
"Wh-whatever will we do?" Papa asked, trembling.
"We'll stay here, that's what," Bun exclaimed. "Kirby'll take care of all of those jerks! Right, Kirby?" He turned to smirk at the Star Warrior, who squeaked with assent.
"Kirby, I'll summon the Warp Star so you can get down there as fast as possible," Fumu said, opening the balcony doors. "I'll join you in a few minutes. I'm going to find Sir Meta Knight first." She took a breath and belted out into the night, "Warp Star!"
A minute passed. Then another. Nervous sweat prickled along her arms. Why was it taking so long? "Warp Star," she said again, but her faltering voice betrayed her anxiety. "Kirby, you try to summon it. Maybe…" Maybe it was time for him to do this himself. Maybe he didn't need her anymore.
He opened his mouth, squinted, and let out a few high-pitched noises that resembled what she said, but weren't right.
"Warp Star," she enunciated.
"Waaw-Staah," he said, waving his nubby hands around. He gasped, drawing his paws and feet close, eyes cinched shut.
"Kirby? What's wrong?" Fumu caught him before he fell.
Mama fainted into Papa's arms. Bun was agape. "What's going on?" He was shaking by now too. "Why's Kirby…"
The Star Warrior was flashing blue. Fumu remembered the first night they fought together, how he had changed colors when he sustained damage. Nothing hit him, though. Unless…
A Warp Star is a Star Warrior's life force.
It felt like a block of ice replaced her heart. She tried to control her breathing as she stood and ran to the front door.
"Fumu? Where are you going?" Papa looked at her with terror.
"To find Sir Meta Knight," she said. "He has to know something we can do-" She opened the door and stopped dead when she saw that there were demon beasts in the hall.
One, a Chilidog-shaped creature that was covered in yellow bandages, shrieked and lunged at her. She slammed the door and it hit the frame with a heavy thud. She locked it and in one swift motion, pulled the nearest piece of furniture to block the door-a thin table that displayed fake flower pots.
She heaved a breath, nerves trembling, and turned to face Kirby. He was whimpering, writhing on the ground. Her chest constricted at the sight of him, knowing she couldn't do anything. No-that wasn't right; she could do something.
She moved to the kitchen and drew the largest knife she could find from the drawer. Her parents looked at her with wide eyes-Mama looked ready to faint once more. "Protect Kirby," she said. "I-I'm going to…to fight them myself."
"Sis! Lemme help!" Bun rushed over and took a knife for himself.
"Oh, children…" Mama's eyes glistened, as did Papa's. A whimper caught her attention and she knelt by Kirby's side, grabbing his paw to comfort him. "He will be all right with us."
Fumu nodded, looked at Bun, then walked to the door. They pushed the table out of the way together. She stood with her hand trembling over the knob, gathering herself. Thudding noises were still coming from outside, no doubt demon beasts trying to break through the reinforced frame.
A glowing light pierced the wood, slicing vertically. Something kicked in the halves. Fumu flinched, gripping the knife in front of her, but broke into a smile when she saw it was Sir Meta Knight and his knaves, the demon beasts' bodies disappearing into smoke at their feet.
The navy blue puffball ran past Fumu and stood by Kirby, looking him over. She clasped her hands together. "Sir Meta Knight, I think they have his Warp Star. We have to-"
"We weren't fast enough." Meta Knight's voice was quiet. "Already, he is…"
A spasm wreaked havoc on Kirby's body. He drew a stuttering breath and withdrew into Mama's arms. He had the strength left to open his eyes when he heard Fumu approach. He tried to lift a paw. His body was a solid, horrible blue.
"K-Kirby…"
"His Warp Star has already been irreparably damaged," Meta Knight went on. "That is the only reason for his present condition."
Her heart thudded in her chest like solid lead, pumping freezing metal through her veins. She looked at him. "There isn't anything we can do?"
"Not anymore."
"Puh…" It was more of a release of held breath than anything; Kirby lay limp in Mama's grasp. His eyes still held some brightness, and he seemed to be imploring Fumu.
"Let me hold him," she said, reaching out her arms.
Mama carefully transferred the child to her lap. Everyone moved back a few steps, except Meta Knight.
"Kirby…I'm sorry," she said. She could feel tears in the background, but they wouldn't come-she didn't know if she was putting on a strong face for Kirby, or if she was too shocked to cry. "But it's going to be okay. I promise. I'm sorry it hurts. It won't for long."
He murmured and snuggled into her chest, his breath slow. After a minute, he stopped moving altogether.
"Kirby?" She shook him, but he didn't respond. His skin was clammy, but not cold yet. "I…think…" she croaked, unable to continue.
Meta Knight's hand rested on her shoulder. "Put him down. We must leave this place."
Fumu obeyed, because there was nothing else to do. She stood and became aware of a noise-Bun sniffling. He was openly sobbing, and neither of her parents were bothering to do anything about the tears running down their faces. She felt dead.
"We can't leave him, though," she said.
"I will retrieve his body later," the knight said. "Now, we need to be fast. We cannot carry extra weight."
Meta Knight was on point, the family behind him, with Sword and Blade taking the rear. They ran, but they were less than one hundred feet out the door when an explosion knocked them all forward. Fumu pushed herself up and looked back to see a horde of flying, bat-like demon beasts coming through a hole in the wall.
"Sir!" Sword yelled, raising her sword to deflect an oncoming strike from one of the things. "Take them and go!"
"We've got this," Blade said, impaling a leathery wing with her own weapon. It shrieked and swiped at her head, knocking her down-and that was the last Fumu saw of them, because Meta Knight hauled her up and then she was running, running, running.
Demon beasts had broken through many parts of the castle, and on every corner there were Dees fending off the invasion. Several lay unmoving, but Fumu couldn't spare sympathy for them-she and her family and Meta Knight jumped, dodged, and rolled their way through the many little battles, the only thought on their minds escaping the castle.
They neared the throne room; Fumu knew because she heard Escargon crying out. "Someone help! Help His Majesty!" The door was cracked open, and she glimpsed the snail standing over Dedede's still-but still living-form.
"Sir Meta Knight," she said between panting breaths, "are you going to help them?"
"They're right behind us, Fumu," Meta Knight answered. "If we stop for even a moment, then they'll get all of us. They're safer figuring it out on their own."
The cold logic cut her. This was horrible. With each explosion, she flinched and pushed herself to run faster, harder. The noise resounded in her chest, and she forgot all reason, all calm; panic spurred her on even as the creatures caught up with them.
She heard Bun huffing next to her, but it didn't register in her mind what was happening until she saw her brother fall back. She spun, skidding on her heels, and watched in horror as demon beast claws grasped Bun on his shoulders, head, around his feet-he was picked upside down and his hair fell away from his eyes for the first time in years. The bright blue irises burned with tears and he screamed, so loud it shattered her.
"Bun!" She almost threw herself at him, but Meta Knight grabbed her, tossed her towards her parents, and rocketed towards the demon beasts. He roared, slicing Galaxia out of its sheath, electricity sparking in the dim corridor. The freshly-formed blade cut straight through three armored demon beasts.
The others screeched and jostled Bun to the back of the group. He shrieked and kicked, but it was no use against his captors' grip. Meta Knight had to deal with the demon beasts in front, and there were so many. At the back of the group was another bat-it hooked its claws around Bun's upper arms and turned to fly away with him through an open window. The last Fumu saw of him, he was kicking, his mouth wide with a scream she couldn't hear, tears like waterfalls down his chubby face.
"Bun," Mama sobbed.
"Run!" Meta Knight turned on his heel and let the remaining horde advance on him once more.
The three family members listened. Fumu retreated into a hard, silent place in her mind. She would not react, could not react. All she knew was to put one foot in front of the other, and that's what she did, for what felt like eternity.
When they turned the thousandth corner, there was a statue at the end of the hall. It sounded like they were more distant from the fire and fighting now. If Fumu was thinking correctly, then they were on the side of the castle close to the sea-if the demon beasts came from the Destrayers in the north, it made sense for this area to be less chaotic.
Meta Knight activated the trap and all four went down the slide. All were silent, and though the trip was short, the close quarters allowed Fumu to become more aware of how much she and the others reeked of sweat.
They landed on a small platform outside, on top of the moat. Fireflies still danced in the night, though the edges of the sky were tinged with green and orange from the alien spacecraft and blazes on the other side of the castle. Fumu could even hear animals-crickets, frogs, and the splashing of fish in the moat. They had no awareness of what was going on.
There was a shiny new boat waiting for them. The old one was burned with the rest of the previous castle, and though it was a simple wood construct, it looked pristine. Fumu sat next to her mother, who swept her close in a tight hug. Papa sat across from them, and he and Mama held hands the entire way while Meta Knight rowed.
They climbed onto the opposite bank. To Fumu's dismay, there were demon beasts here-a dead Waddle Dee and the dead knight demon it must have taken down with it lay in the grass. The air stank of metallic blood.
Mama stepped towards them and stooped to pick up the sword. Fumu was puzzled. She turned, and Fumu had never seen such anger and fierceness in Mama's eyes. She looked at her family. "I am going to get Bun back or die trying."
"Mama, no," Fumu cried.
"Honey…" Papa swallowed, glanced at the other two, and sighed. "At least let me accompany you. The Dees carry spears, don't they?"
"My dear," Mama said, approaching Fumu. She placed a gentle hand on her daughter's face. "I must try to save your brother. No son of mine will be…will be corrupted or eaten or whatever they intend to do with him!" Her face grew more determined as she spoke. Fumu would have never guessed she held such reserves of strength. This woman usually fainted at the slightest sign of danger, but now, she was ready to kill.
And Papa would join her. He grasped the spear in his hand and looked as uncertain as possible, but he didn't change his mind. They both left in the direction that the demon beast would have flown-towards the burning town.
Mama glanced back. "We love you, Fumu," she said. "Take good care of her, Sir Meta Knight."
"Her safety is assured."
"Mama, Papa, I love you," she called after them. They glanced back to give her a last couple of smiles, and then disappeared around the corner.
"I never expected that from either of them," Meta Knight muttered, then turned to Fumu. "Well, since it's just you and me, then I know of an alternate route."
She blinked at him blankly. "What?"
"I don't usually do this." He shuffled. "Hold your arms up."
She did as she was told, not understanding but too exhausted to question it. Meta Knight threw open his cape, and in the blink of an eye they changed-Fumu did blink, several times, but what she saw wasn't an illusion. They had changed into a pair of small, but strong-looking wings. The flesh between the "fingers" was purple, and the elbows were tipped with claws, like a bat's.
He flapped into the air, positioned himself over her, and grabbed her outstretched hands. Fumu gasped as she was lifted into the air, and her head began to swim the higher they rose.
"I never knew," she said.
"I don't usually reveal them," Meta Knight replied. "They drain too much energy to be efficient." Despite that, he didn't sound labored. They rose above Castle Dedede, and Fumu's heart froze again at the sight of the giant circular ships. The one farthest away was charging a laser, its bottom compartment growing bright. She looked to the side just as it fired, to avoid seeing more of her precious homeland roast under their cruelty. Meta Knight flew on. For a few minutes there was nothing but the sound of his wings flapping.
"What's going to happen to us?" Fumu looked down on the fleeing villagers-some were being carted off like Bun instead of murdered, but it was all equally difficult to watch knowing what likely awaited them.
"I don't think 'us' exists anymore," Meta Knight said. "Pupupuland is gone."
Fumu shuddered. "Don't say that. Please-"
"All things end. Usually in unexpected violence." His wisened voice quivered as he said the words.
The glare from the firing Destrayer faded, and she looked over to see a giant blackened patch where a part of the woods used to be. She shut her eyes and was unable to comprehend her grief. It felt like a dream, but she knew she wouldn't wake up. It was still an insane hope she held as Meta Knight carried her under the Destrayers, which were unaware to their tiny bodies, too focused on the troops and villagers on the ground.
The northern plateau rose before her eyes. They were out from under the Destrayers now, and if it weren't for the distant punches of explosions and weapons behind her, Fumu could have been at peace under the starry sky and waxing gibbous moon.
If she had felt peace, it wouldn't have lasted. She heard a tearing noise, and Meta Knight grunted. She looked up and saw his wings collapse to his body, his eyes dangerously red. They fell.
She screamed.
He rolled through the air, placing her on top of himself so he would cushion her fall. They'd lowered their altitude since leaving sight of the town, and that must have been their fatal mistake, as a demon beast had been able to strike Meta Knight.
They struck the ground and separated. Fumu rolled into a bush, which pricked her backside but kept her from rolling too far. Meta Knight skidded along the short grass, flailing his wings, and eventually came to rest thirty feet away. He rose his head, and his mask was off-pale eyes, white as the moon, stared around.
"Fumu-my mask! I can't-can't see-" he was gasping the words out, one wing hanging limply.
Fumu burst up, plucking his gleaming silver mask from the ground and tossing it at him. It hit the ground near his side and he heard it, taking it and clasping it back on his face. His eyes were yellow again.
"Good…" Meta Knight drew Galaxia. It sparked to life. "We've a fight coming our way."
The demon beasts were coming over the hill. Three tall, knight-like figures were charging at them, blades drawn.
Meta Knight waited until they were within fifty feet, then dashed at them, swinging a sword beam. Despite his pain, it landed, slicing all three in half. Fumu breathed out.
She didn't see the dark shape poking its head over the hill until it was too late. She opened her mouth to yell, but the shooter already pulled the trigger. It made no noise, but it flared brightly.
Meta Knight cried out. He fell to the ground. Fumu shrieked and ran to his side, shaking him. "No, no-"
The demon beast drew near. Meta Knight ended his feint before it could grab her, slicing upwards with Galaxia. It fell with a shriek and poofed into thin air.
Then he rolled onto his back, his mask slipping off again. His body inflated and deflated at a steady, but weakening rhythm; blood was seeping from everywhere. Fumu didn't even know where she should begin compressing. She thought it probably didn't matter-she could not apply enough pressure on all the wounds by herself.
"Sir Meta Knight…" She grabbed his hand.
"Fumu, you need-" Meta Knight winced as he lifted his other hand, the one that still grasped Galaxia. "Take him…take him with you as you flee. Even if you don't use him, even if you never learn the art of swordplay, you must keep this sword out of Nightmare's hands." He coughed, blood lining his lips.
She was shaking her head. "Meta Knight, I don't think he'd accept-"
"He wouldn't," he said. "But, with my consent, he will agree to travel with you for a while. I discussed it with him while we-were flying-that if anything sh-should-" His body shook with coughs.
Fumu placed her hands on him. "Please, just…don't exert yourself anymore. Maybe you can-"
"I can't." Despite his blindness, his eyes were fierce. He lifted Galaxia closer to her. "Grab him by the hilt."
Fumu sucked in a breath and did so, placing her palm on the side opposite to Meta Knight's. An electric sensation flooded her body, and she felt like she couldn't breathe-she tried to let go but she couldn't, her hand was stuck.
She heard a voice. My master has released me to you, it said. I will serve you well.
She could feel Galaxia in her mind. It was like two pieces of string crossing over each other many times to create a double helix-she could feel him winding and binding to her thoughts. When the light faded and she was back in the field with Meta Knight, she still felt as though he were there.
Flee, Galaxia said.
Meta Knight dragged himself over with a groan and grabbed the fallen demon beast's shooter. More demon beasts were coming; somehow she knew that.
She looked down at the knight sadly. "Meta Knight…I'm so sorry. You survived the whole war only to die now."
He chuckled. He grasped the shooter in his gloved paw and smirked, an odd juxtaposition to his usual cold demeanor. "The war was never over, Fumu. Just because you kill the general doesn't mean the troops stop fighting. His cause is their cause. They will carry on without him if they must. Now go."
Fumu took a deep breath and turned to face the canyon. It was like a gigantic gate, waiting to usher her into a new world. She ran, and did not look back even when she heard the first gunshots.
She sprinted through the canyon. Her lungs burned, but she kept going, held together by some force. Adrenaline or magic, it carried her through the remainder of the night.
Sometime later-a later she didn't think would ever come-she broke out of the canyon. It had been narrow and uninteresting, or at least what little she could see in the predawn night had been. Now she was on high ground overlooking a valley. In the distance she saw huge mountains, backed by a half-and-half sky. On one side, the sun was beginning to rise, quelling the stars on the other side.
On the night side, there was one twinkling, burning star-the dawn's star. Fumu stared at it for a while. It was usually hard to see that star in Pupupuland because the trees and hills obscured it, so this was her first time witnessing it in real life. She watched its brilliance burn for a few short minutes before the dawning sun overtook it, making it fade into the blue with its brothers.
A short window of time, snuffed out by fire and light. So much like the previous night; she shivered and sat hard on the ground.
No pursuit, Galaxia announced.
"What…what do I do now, Galaxia?" she asked aloud. She thought she could communicate with him through thought alone, but she hadn't figured out how. She hadn't wanted to during the night.
Oh, child, the sword said, his booming voice sounding neither scolding nor sympathetic, you live.
Her face screwed up. She couldn't stop it and she didn't want to; the sword would tell her if she was in danger. Her throat burned as sobs tore their way through her mouth, and she must have cried out most of the water in her body by the end. After a while she opened her eyes, wincing at the brightness of the morning sky. Her head hurt and she felt dizzy and she was hungry and thirsty and alone.
She picked herself up. If "live" was what she had to do, then she couldn't do it here. Onward, she walked.