I still have a long way to go for part 2, thus why I'm only publishing this part. I'm sorry for not updating; I have 5 different fanfictions going on, this being one of them, and that combined with the mindset that they have to be finished before I do publish them makes publishing real slow. I'll try to change (hopefully soon) and publish more. For now, enjoy!
"Sir? You haven't given us your commands yet," Trident Knight anxiously noted. He had been standing outside Meta Knight's room for just about ten minutes. It wasn't like their lord to leave matters hanging for so long, especially when it came to giving the crew their orders. And it was already 7 in the morning; Meta Knight was never asleep this late! He was often awake at 6 or earlier to fly around Dreamland or something of the sorts. Suddenly, the door opened and Trident straightened up. "I'm sorry, Trident," the knight yawned, wings fluttering without his cape. "I was up late last night retesting some aspects of the Halberd. Just have Vul do a routine check on the engine and-" Meta Knight's sentence was cut off by a bout of erratic coughing.
"Sir, you might want to get back in your room and have Sailor Dee take care of you or something," Trident suggested. "After all, I know you went to sleep as early as the rest of us!" The puffball in front of him stretched, then unexpectedly knocked the purple knight to the side. Once the obstacle was clear, he darted for the exit.
Meta Knight snapped his wings open and glided down the ramp of the Halberd with a slight cough. "Sir! Stop, you're ill!" Trident exclaimed worriedly from behind. After it was clear that he wouldn't stop, he encouraged Axe, Mace, and Javelin to chase after him. As he broke into the snowy evening, Meta Knight spotted a pile of snow he could hide in to escape his crew. He banked to the right and plunged into the snow pile, the snow on top covering the hole he made. Staying completely still, the knight listened intently as part of his crew ran past, yelling at each other. Once their footsteps completely faded away, he dug out of the snow and continued on. Meta Knight shivered at times, wings folded neatly against his back. How he yearned for the warm silk cape that he had left in his bedroom. But of course, he had to come out wearing all his armor and not his cape. The knight was often like that when he was forced to think fast. He turned towards the sea, where he knew of a cliff overlooking the Orange Ocean. He'd stay there for the time being.
Captain Vul lounged in his chair, a pipe extending from his beak. It really helped his schedule when their lord was up late to do some important work or slept in occasionally. He didn't have to do anything for a longer amount of time. Then his door opened with a slam, and he turned crossly in the direction. Axe and Mace were there, both panting wildly. "What's gotten into you, lads?" The vulture asked, getting up.
"It's Lord Meta Knight-" Axe started.
"He's run off, and with how there's supposed to be a blizzard today-" Mace added.
"We're worried about him. Trident and Javelin are still out there looking for him. We told them not to because it was too cold, but they wanted to keep trying."
"Let's send out some search parties then. If you can, find Sailor Dee and tell him to get out there and search as well. I'll stay here and guard the Halberd," Vul commanded. Axe and Mace left the room, and before long, the vulture heard some chatter between the two and the Dee under Meta Knight's command. Then silence filled the great battleship once more, and Vul sat back down in his chair, blowing smoke rings through the air.
Meta Knight finally made it to his destination after half an hour of trudging through the snow. Sitting down at the edge of the cliff, he closed his eyes. That chase had taken a lot out of him, and it left his sore throat even worse than it had been before. Snowflakes had begun to fall steadily from a steely, cloud-covered sky and he noticed this. The knight slowed his quickened breathing and lowered his subconscious into a deep state of thought. He brought his mind to the worries and fears at hand. Meta Knight. His sword had awakened in his thinking and began to speak. You are troubled.
Since when was I never troubled? I have been this way for as long as I can remember.
You are afraid of being alone. You think that no one cares for you. That is not true. In the midst of their psychic conversation, unbeknown to the knight, his body was shivering more and more as snow covered his body. His muscles slowly shut down as the cold numbed him. That has always been and will always be true. Anyone who comes close to me will die, and I will shatter after the loss.
You don't let yourself make friends with anyone because of this. Loosen up a bit, would you, Meta?
Loosen up? I have already built too many walls around myself, and the only person who can knock them down is Kirby. These walls are too hard for even I to break.
Think about it, Meta. Think about it. Wait, don't.
Don't think about it or do think about it? What are you trying to say, Galaxia?
Oh, I don't know. You look tired.
I'll have you know that I slept as early as everyone else-
And you woke up earlier than everyone else too. You're clearly tired. Why don't you go take a nap or something?
I don't feel like it. Then Meta Knight felt himself growing drowsy and he blinked tiredly. Then he realized what his sword was trying to do. Sometimes it was a bad idea to let a sentient being into your mind, especially when it had the powers to control movements.
Galaxia, a nap right now?! You can't be serious, I'm out in the open!
Oh, come on, admit it. You know you want to sleep.
Not right here! Sleeping in the snow means certain… death… Despite all his struggling, Galaxia still found a way to prod the blue puffball closer towards sleep. Soon enough, the movements ceased and both puffball and sword went quiet.
Sailor Dee straightened his cap. He had been out searching just like the rest of the Halberd crew, the only difference being that he had actually been smart enough to carry supplies. A blanket, an instant tent, a first aid kit, a thermos of tea, a sleeping bag, and two of Javelin's sandwiches had been stuffed into the biggest backpack he owned, which was technically Axe's, but he had taken it a few months back. His lord's cape was draped around his tiny body, giving warmth to the Dee, and his lucky watch was strapped around his nubby hand. "Why would Meta Knight go out on a day like this without his cape?" he wondered, drawing the cape closer to himself. "I mean, I know he likes winter, but he's not so careless as to leave this behind!" Sailor Dee looked around. He was nearing Orange Ocean, the fateful spot where the Halberd had first fallen to Kirby. How the pink puffball managed to get past the ship's defenses and weapons still puzzled the Dee. But then again, Kirby could do anything. He shook the snow accumulating on his head and peered closer to the cliff. Despite the disaster that had happened, this was one of Meta Knight's favorite spots to think. There was a weird mound of snow near the very edge, and a creeping realization dawned upon him. Sailor Dee approached the mound but before he could get there, he tripped.
There was a crunch in the snow and Meta Knight awoke. He felt detached from his body and he could barely turn his head to see that Sailor Dee was picking himself up from the snow. Then the Waddle Dee looked straight into the knight's eyes and ran forward. "Sir! You're okay!" Sailor Dee exclaimed, running forward. The Dee hugged the puffball then flinched back as he felt how cold the puff really was.
"Sailor, why are you here? You should be in the Halberd," Meta Knight mumbled. He had quit shivering long ago, but now it had started up again.
"Have your cape back. I know you say not to go into your room, but my blanket's just a bit small for you," Sailor Dee replied. The knight could barely reach out his hand to take the cloth and in the end, Dee had to put it on for him. The blue puffball was shivering a lot and his skin was pale.
"You're frozen stiff, Sir… Wait there, I'll set up the tent." Sailor threw the insta-tent into a hollow tree and watched it puff up to full size. Then he grabbed Meta Knight's hand and pulled him to his feet. The knight could just put one foot in front of the other, and eventually, they made it inside the tent. He was shivering even harder once they got inside and Sailor Dee wrapped the blue puffball tighter in the cape. Dee looked around. Even though there was no one there, he was nervous; he was about to break one of Meta Knight's most precious rule and he would surely get fired for it, but it was worth it if it meant he could save the knight's life.
The Dee lifted the mask, ignoring the knight's feeble attempts to stop him. "Sir, please, it's for your own good," Sailor Dee chided as he took the mask off. He was surprised to find a face like Kirby's- cute and childish, complete with the innocent silver eyes and dark pink blush. After staring wide-eyed at Meta Knight's cute face, the Dee took the rest of his armor off and laid it in a pile in a corner of the tent. He left the knight's cape and gloves, and seeing that the puffball wasn't shivering as much, proceeded to pour some of the tea into its cup-like lid and offer it. "As soon as we get back to the Halberd, you're fired," Meta Knight growled playfully, taking the cup and narrowing his eyes. His hands were shaking as he sipped on the hot liquid.
"I know, sir," Sailor Dee replied, ashamed. "Still, it's nice to see you're feeling like yourself again."
"Not exactly. Most of me still feels like ice, but I'll be fine soon enough, so no need to worry." The Waddle Dee's eyes brightened as he fumbled around in his backpack.
"Sandwich? You must be hungry." The Dee pulled out the wrapped sandwiches, stolen straight from Javelin's personal fridge, and gave one to the blue puffball.
"I am, actually." As the knight unwrapped the food and bit into one end, he couldn't help but shake the feeling that his comrade was stalling. "Dee. Why are we staying here so long? Should we not be going back to the Halberd?"
"Well, sir, I didn't want to bother you with the news, but it seems like there's a blizzard brewing. I didn't want to take the chances of us getting lost in the snow and making your cough worse than it already is."
"Then we should be getting back right away! There'll be time for such petty matters after we get back." Meta Knight struggled to his feet and tried to head outside before Sailor Dee grabbed his arm.
"Sir, you can't go! The blizzard's already started," Dee said, quieting to let the sound of the harsh winds through. "And you don't have your armor on!" The knight positioned his mask on his face with an audible growl and morphed his cape into wings. But it soon became clear that the blue puffball wasn't going anywhere; the dark blue appendages wouldn't flap or move, and they just hung limply with ice crystals embedded in several places. The wings twitched once, then ceased moving. With a sigh, Meta Knight sat down and removed his mask. "Fine, Dee. You have your wish; I'll stay," the blue puffball said, defeated.
"It's fine, Sir. We'll be able to go back before you know it." Sailor Dee laid down next to the knight and began pulling the ice out.
"It's too nippy outside to keep searching," Javelin shivered. He and Trident had given up and were walking back to the Halberd.
"If only Kirby wasn't in Floralia," Trident answered. "He'd be able to find Lord Meta Knight in minutes." They walked into the hangar and up the ramp to the battleship. The moment they entered the ship, Axe and Mace leapt on them.
"Did you find Sir Meta Knight?" Axe questioned desperately.
"Where's Sailor Dee?" Mace added. Javelin and Trident looked at each other.
"We thought Sailor was with you guys." Trident said. An awkward silence ensued as they stared at each other. Then all four came to the same terrifying conclusion.
"If Sailor Dee's out there-" Mace started.
"In the blizzard-" Axe continued.
"And he's found Meta Knight-" Trident gasped.
"Then maybe they're stuck together out there and they'll both freeze to death!" Javelin finished. The other three looked at him weirdly before commencing to run around and yell in panic. Captain Vul poked his head out of his door, beak bordering on a snarl. "Turn it down a bit!" He roared. "Look, I get that you're worried, but you can try calling Dee's phone. Try that, and if that doesn't work, call Sir Meta Knight's. Honestly, I don't get why you can't think of that!" Javelin pulled out his phone and dialed. When Sailor Dee's phone rang from his room, they gave up and called their lord. All four crowded around the phone, waiting earnestly for an answer.
Sailor Dee pulled the last piece of ice out of the knight's wings and laid it carefully on the synthetic floor. "All done, Sir," the Dee sighed, pulling out the first aid kit. "It wasn't too bad, was it?"
"No, I'm fine. It stung a bit when you pulled one out, but the pain is mostly gone now," Meta Knight replied, wincing as another stab of pain swept through his body. Sailor brushed the pile of bloody ice aside and began placing bandages where the ice had penetrated the puffball's wings.
"Dee, how long is this blizzard supposed to last? I should like to get back to the Halberd as soon as possible," the knight said.
"It should last for about an hour, maybe two. The weatherman said the whole day, but I don't believe him," Sailor noted with a touch of pride.
"I don't either. After all, it would have to be one strong blizzard." Dee squealed with laughter and released the tension from both of them. As Meta Knight's eyes turned blue, he missed a small vibration coming from inside of his cape-wings.
"Please leave your message after the beep." Javelin frowned and hung up. He had been trying to contact Meta Knight for a solid half hour, and not even one of his calls had been picked up. It was worrying him, and his mood was catching on to the others. Nearly everyone was pacing and having doubts about their lord's disappearance.
"I just heard some news, lads," Captain Vul grimly announced, coming out of his room. Axe, Mace, and Trident came closer from their workstations on the Halberd and listened intently. "It seems like the blizzard's got twice as much snow than expected, and it'll be going on for at least the whole day. Any hope we'll have of finding them after the blizzard is gone now. The snow will have covered everything."
"But we can't give up on finding Sir Meta Knight! I just can't imagine the Halberd operating without him or Sailor Dee," Mace declared defiantly.
"We've all been loyal to Meta Knight up until now, and you expect us to just turn our backs on him? He's saved all our lives, or have you forgotten?" Trident continued, pointing accusingly at Vul. The vulture could come up with no good response, and he slammed the door to his room shut, muttering about nightly work. Worries clouded the four knights' minds. Their lord had to be alright; he was always that way. Even if the odds weren't in his favor, he always pulled through in one way or another. But one thing was fresh in every mind- the Halberd would never again grace the sky with its presence unless Meta Knight returned.
Sailor Dee pulled his feet closer to his body. The cold had begun to get him and he had instinctively moved towards Meta Knight for warmth. "Sir, I'm cold," he complained.
"It is a blizzard, Dee. It is natural that it will be cold," the knight rumbled. "But I might have something that could help…" His wings morphed back into a cape and he reached his hand inside it. Suddenly, a fire ability hat appeared on Meta Knight's head.
"You can do abilities, sir? Why haven't you used them before?" Dee asked.
"Just in case you are wondering, I can inhale like Kirby; however, I do not possess the Copy Ability. I can handle abilities, but I cannot obtain them. And I prefer to stick with Galaxia since it offers more power than an ability ever can," the Star Warrior answered. "I just happen to like collecting Copy Ability hats. Kirby gives me his when he doesn't need it anymore."
The knight established a connection to the hat before pulling it off, discarding his ability, and placing it on the floor. The fire in the hat blazed brightly as the blue puffball continued to feed it energy.
"Is that any better?" The knight asked warmly. Sailor Dee hummed happily in response and pulled part of Meta Knight's cape over himself as he stretched out on the floor next to the fire.
"Sir? It won't burn the tent, right?" the Waddle Dee murmured, half asleep.
"It'll be fine, Dee, and if it gets out of control, I'm here," the blue puffball said. Meta Knight found himself absently stroking Sailor's head, the warmth of the fire going throughout the tent. He smiled tiredly before letting himself fall asleep on top of the Dee.
Vul yawned and rubbed his eyes. He was up almost 24/7- taking care of the Halberd in the day and running around in the forest at night. The traps he set had to be perfectly placed, perfectly made, and well thought-out. Then there was the trouble of actually setting it… It was taking too much of his time and energy to do this, and all for one pathetic reason. But he had to do it. Once the deed was completed, he would have full control and no one else. The power would naturally all flow to him as captain, and he had the weapons at his disposal to finally take over Dreamland. "Think it over, Vul," he told himself. "What next?" An idea formed in his head, one that was so devious and so cunning no one had thought of it. His beak formed into a sly grin and he mulled things over in his mind. All he had to do was exploit their weaknesses.
Sailor Dee woke to a strange weight on top of him. He looked up, annoyed and slightly squished, to find Meta Knight sleeping on his back. The Dee didn't want to bother him since the puffball was sleeping so peacefully, but he didn't want to be stuck under there forever! The fire was also in front of his face; though it was dim and smoldering, he could still feel its heat. "Sir? Would you mind getting off me?" Sailor Dee asked quietly. The knight slowly opened his milky silver eyes and was startled.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Dee! I didn't mean to fall asleep on top of you," Meta Knight exclaimed. He scrambled to his feet and tripped over his cape in haste as he backed into the other side of the tent.
"You were tired, sir, I get it. It's fine." Despite his being squished, Sailor actually found the situation amusing, especially since he could see the horrified expression on the puffball's face.
"If you're sure… But I've been thinking. We have no more food, and if we're going to make it back to the Halberd, we'll need our energy. So I thought we might give hunting a try," the blue puffball explained, his face blushing with embarrassment..
"Hunting, sir? Hunting what?"
"Whatever we can find. Fish might work as well, now that you mention it."
"But there's nothing out there to hunt. Everything is going to be in their burrows or something. And what if you get in trouble? You'll be stuck out there and I won't know!"
"Watch the fire, then. I have a connection to my ability and I can cut it whenever I want. If the fire suddenly goes out, go outside and look for me. But don't go too far; I don't want you getting lost as well."
"What about the fire afterward, sir? Will it stay out or can you relight it?"
"I believe it will relight if I touch it again. Abilities like fire are not very hard to comprehend."
"Okay… at least leave the armor. It'll help." Meta Knight took his mask and set it down with a sigh before taking his sword and putting it into its sheath. Then he threw his cape to Sailor Dee, and before the Dee could protest, flew out of the tent.
Shadows filled the forest where snow did not. Every possible place was either black or white, and it reminded Meta Knight of the movies he liked watching; some of his favorites were from way back in Dreamland's history. He had been flying through the forest looking for anything worth hunting, his sword gripped in his right hand. His injured wings put up some discomfort, but that couldn't stop him from flying anywhere. The puffball only stopped flying next to a pond that was miraculously unfrozen to catch his breath. He eyed the pond carefully. There could be fish in that pond… but he didn't want to risk it. Making a mental note to not fall in, he started walking around it. Then he heard a quiet thwip- the sound an arrow made when it had been released from its waiting position in the bow. The knight was instantly alert, looking around for anyone who could've possibly made the sound. Then he felt a searing pain in his left shoulder and he jumped backward in a battle stance. Before he knew it, the rush of frigid water came to meet him, sending Meta Knight into a state of panic. He swam upwards, coughing out water, and stabbed randomly into the water with his sword, hoping to catch something before his muscles froze entirely. After a few stabs, he sheathed the sword and focused more on his survival. The puffball could already feel his range of motion limiting as he paddled closer to the edge and gripped a tendril of a root. His shoulder was on fire despite the arctic water surrounding it, but soon he couldn't feel anything at all. He shivered, his teeth chattering; with these conditions, he wouldn't last very long in the pond. So with hopes that Sailor Dee hadn't gone anywhere, he cut the connection.
Vul climbed back up the ramp into the Halberd and shook the snow off him, making sure the concealed bow was still in place. It was bitterly cold out there… he wouldn't last long. He should tell the others- but then again, maybe he shouldn't. What he does is kept to him and him alone. But he wasn't given a choice when Trident walked up to him. "Where have you been, Vul?" His tone was almost accusatory as if hoping to catch the vulture red-handed.
"I've been outside, searching just as you have. I figured that I wasn't doing my fair share of the searching, so I did mine right now," Vul grinned. "I'm just as concerned for our lord, even if I don't seem to show it."
"Alright. Have you found anything much?"
"I saw some footprints. Vague, but they look a bit like Meta Knight's. Or maybe Dee's, since the two have the same foot shape." The vulture didn't dare mention what he had really done out in the forest; it would send the crew into too much of a panic and they would cast him out. That couldn't happen if he was going to rule Dreamland someday.
Sailor Dee looked up when he felt a burst of cold air. The fire had gone out, and that meant Meta Knight was in trouble! He wrapped the knight's cape around himself as the puffball would often do and scurried outside. The snow stung his face, but he didn't hesitate to look around. "Sir! Where are you?" Dee yelled as loud as he could. He was sure that the blizzard would carry his voice away, but he soon heard a faint reply.
"Sailor… here… behind…" The Dee whirled around and saw the pond near the edge of the forest and the struggling puffball within. He ran over, the cape trailing after him, and stopped at the edge of the pond.
"Sir! Can you move?"
"If I c-c-could, d-don't you think I would be out of here by now?"
"You have a point… can you at least try to reach my hand?" Sailor Dee held out his hand close to the root where Meta Knight was holding on.
"I c-c-can't move… at all…" The Dee frowned (or at least, he would've if he had a mouth) and leaned forward to take the puffball's hand from the root. He could barely reach it.
"Almost… got it…" Dee's hand brushed the knight's, but instead of pulling him out, the puffball slipped from the root into the water.
Meta Knight was holding his breath, desperately hoping that Sailor could pull him out of the water. Bubbles made their way to the surface and the knight found himself unable to paddle up. Meanwhile, Dee was trying to pluck a branch from a nearby tree; once it cracked off, he plunged it into the water. The puffball grasped the branch as tight as he could, which wasn't very tight considering his inability to move, and Dee pulled it out only to find that it was empty. Acting more in haste now, Sailor plunged the branch back into the water and as soon as he felt that the knight had a solid grip, he pulled.
With a great heave, Sailor Dee heaved the knight out of the water and wrapped the cape around the shivering puffball, who sneezed and drew his cape closer. The Dee stared at how cute the noise was, then went back to work at the puffball's unamused glare.
"How did you get the wound on your shoulder, sir?" Sailor asked, pulling out the arrow.
"S-s-someone shot at me… I d-d-don't know who…" Meta Knight said, shivering and sneezing one more time. The Dee felt around inside the cape and grabbed the knight's shaking hand. Together, they started slowly walking back to the tent, Sailor doing his best to keep his hat from getting blown away. They had gone no farther than a few steps when the Dee was knocked forward into the snow, making him lose contact with the puffball. He stood up and looked back; the space behind him was empty.
They couldn't still be alive. And if they were, he could deal with it. Kirby was gone, Meta Knight frozen, and Dedede soon to be dead. Dreamland would be his in a few days. Vul began to plan what came next. The snow Krackos would have to be paid with water for causing so much snow, and he just didn't know how to transport so much water to them in so little time. Maybe he could think of something later… Then there was the king, who was also high on his priority list. There couldn't be two leaders of Dreamland, after all. There was so much to do… It would be a long wait, but in the end, it would all be worth it.
Sailor found Meta Knight in a matter of minutes. The puffball was shivering so hard it was actually keeping the snow off him, and Dee didn't know if that was good or bad. In the end, Sailor Dee decided to drag Meta Knight back to the tent, hoping the snow would pull some of the moisture off of the knight's body. Carefully, Dee opened the door of the tent and pulled the puffball inside. He dried the body and slowly acclimated the knight to the higher temperatures; first, the cape, then the blanket and sleeping bag. Dee pulled the arrow out of the puff's shoulder and waited for him to wake up, noting with satisfaction the knight's lessened shivering.
"Sir? Are you awake?" Dee shook the knight gently. The puffball groaned and turned over. After a while, he turned back.
"Dee? We are… in the tent?" Meta Knight's voice was rough and he coughed quite a lot, much to Sailor Dee's dismay.
"Yes, sir. Did you manage to catch anything?" Dee began absentmindedly treating the puff's arrow wound.
"I'm not sure…" The puffball paused his sentence to sniff and sink deeper into the sleeping bag. "I don't believe I did, after stabbing so crazily into the water." The knight pulled out his sword, and to their surprise, some fish were impaled on its spikes.
"Sir, you're amazing! You did catch something!" Sailor Dee plucked the fish off the sword and stared at Meta Knight expectantly. The knight looked back and, understanding what the Dee wanted, waved his hand over the fire. The flames burst into life, the energy of its warrior flowing through once more.
"What did you want the fire for, Dee? Are you cold?"
"No, sir. I wanted to cook something for you."
Vul growled as he drew his head away from the binoculars. They had actually made it back alive; impossible! How was he supposed to become ruler of Dreamland if there was so much opposition? This was not acceptable! They were certainly planning a rebellion in that tent, and it had to be put out as soon as possible. He had a last-resort plan, but there was a reason it was the last resort… He never thought about using this one; he just assumed his earlier traps and the conditions he had caused would take care of it and he could take over Dreamland without much thought. But he had to use it. This had to end.