My first Kirby story of 2017, yes! :D

OK, so I have another Kirby one-shot in the works but I've become stuck at the halfway point so the best thing to do is... write another Kirby one-shot and get stuck at the beginning instead! (It's foolproof I assure you. And I actually managed to do it in one day considering how little work I have at the moment.)

There are times when I can be quite contemplative and philosophical and as far as the Kirby cast goes, the best character for that kind of thing is Meta Knight. Special thanks to Kirby Wiki where I can look up plot details and that kind of thing. Hope you like. :)

A Name To Remember

Death, they say, is the next great step. It is, apparently, the start of a new adventure. To some, death is but only the beginning. But whatever is said, the truth of the matter is that all those who live will some day meet their demise and there is nothing they can do to stop it; stall it perhaps, but ultimately it cannot be stopped. Even if you were a creature of the stars, there would come a point where you would cease to be and subject only to the natural processes of nameless creatures the world over.

Harsh words perhaps but softening speech would make it no less the truth. Everyone has a finite time in this universe – it had always been fated so and always would be. But if the physical part of a person would some day disappear, what about that of their memory, their name?

Few will be remembered long after death – at least in a meaningful way – and fewer still will be remembered for their relative achievements and success. Many, if they were to be remembered, would be remembered for their failures, or worse, their cruelties. But still, one supposed, they would be remembered and that part could live on long after their physical matter disappeared. Yet was it better to be forgotten about entirely or to be remembered for failures, living on, as it were, in some manner of speaking, distasteful as the latter notion was?

Grim thoughts for a grim morning, Meta Knight sardonically noted as he observed the stormy skies hanging above Cappy Town that day. Black clouds rushed past one another as the heavens opened and cold rain lashed down. Dream Land's greatest knight tightened the hold on his cape while the wind whipped around him and continued to observe the activities of the townspeople below his vantage point. In this tumultuous weather, nobody stopped in the streets long but rather hurried along to their business with quick greetings exchanged here and there. Many would grumble at how the weather was ruining whatever plans they had for that day but at least that was their only problem. None of them knew how close they were to being threatened by a demonbeast once again except that this one, a golem-like creature, had been far more powerful than many of the more recent ones. Had Meta Knight not rushed out to stop it with the little warning he had, Cappy Town could very well have been levelled before they even knew what was going on.

Meta Knight grimaced as he shifted his weight. He tried to ignore the pain currently plaguing him. Was it hubris to think that at one time he would have not received any kind of serious injury while fighting but only a single demonbeast? Much as he loathed to admit it to himself, he had long been past his prime and the battle only proved it, nearly shattering his sword arm and more. A lesser sword would have broke entirely with the force of impact but fortunately for Meta Knight, he had the advantage of wielding the sacred sword Galaxia; an advantage, of course, that his comrades in the Galaxy Solider Army lacked. Even so, he had been helped out by the young Star Warrior Kirby. But Kirby was still a child! He should not have to be burdened with such battles, with his life constantly in danger, under the very real threat of being utterly destroyed by Nightmare! Wasn't that the reason they had fought the war in the first place? So that no-one would be threatened and held under thrall by Nightmare ever again? Hadn't they fought for peace?

They had failed in their struggle against Nightmare, hadn't they? The Galaxy Solider Army, made up of Galaxy Soldiers and the elite Star Warriors, the best the Gamble Galaxy had ever seen – and they had failed.

Against the final onslaught that was Nightmare's demonbeast army, Galaxy Soldiers and Star Warriors alike perished. Meta Knight, as far as he knew, was the only surviving veteran of that war. Though he had dedicated countless years to service, what had he to show for his pains? What had he achieved in his life if anything? Had his entire life been dictated by a series of failures, each greater than the last?

If there was anyone to remember him once he died, would it be to say that this Star Warrior tried and tried to defeat Nightmare and his army but failed each time? For each time there was some sort of success, it would be balanced and then outstripped by a failure, the greatest one being the loss of the army, the loss of so many people except himself. There was no-one to truly remember him from the old days and if there were, it was his failures that stood out to Meta Knight more than his successes. Why would he be remembered in a good light if he had achieved nothing but loss?

He was alive… but alone.

Was it inevitable then that the war against Nightmare should fail? All he wanted was peace and that no-one should have to suffer Nightmare again, that personification of evil who would raze entire lands, entire planets for his own greed and satisfaction. Was it too much to ask for? Was evil inevitably to triumph?

Meta Knight sighed and glanced at his sword Galaxia. Even there a life had been lost in order to obtain the sword. Why the sword had chosen him above others was beyond his understanding. What qualities had he to be denoted as worthy enough to become the sword's wielder? He had led others for a long time true, but there were many others that could surely do the same. He had led expeditions against onslaughts from lesser beings in Nightmare's employ and prevented the deaths of as many innocents as possible. But anyone else could do that, right? And as it was, had he only just stalled for time and stopped the events from happening any sooner? With no army to speak of, he could not know exactly what Nightmare was doing with the other planets. Nightmare appeared to be sending far more demonbeasts to Dream Land these days, many of them on King Dedede's request but that did not rule out the likelihood of him still sending demonbeasts to other places, causing terror, death and destruction there.

When would it all end? Would there even be an end to it all?

Galaxia glowed in accordance to Meta Knight's thoughts. Funny how the sword hadn't rejected him after all these years; it ought to have done by now. Hell, the only reason they had sought Galaxia out in the first place was due to Nightmare attempting to harness the sword's power to fulfil his goal of universal domination, as a Kabu from another planet had informed them. Fortunately, Nightmare had had great difficulty harnessing that power but still they needed to retrieve it at all costs in case Nightmare ever did work out that power. It was only with Garlude's sacrifice that Meta Knight was able to escape with Galaxia. It would have been better to win it in a fair fight with his own life on the line rather than that of another if he could have prevented it.

He was unworthy. His failures mounted more than his successes surely. He had sacrificed so much of his life over the years and he had to wonder whether it was all worth it.

If you knew what was coming, would you have acted differently? Would you have stood there and done nothing?

Of course not, Meta Knight bristled. How could such a thing even be suggested? If I did nothing, Nightmare would only have committed even more evil deeds. I could not stand by and let that happen. Far more could have been lost otherwise.

Why fight at all?

Meta Knight frowned. Because if I did nothing, who knows what evils would befall us? I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. I fight to make a difference.

You did make a difference, Meta Knight. Isn't that what is important?

Galaxia fell silent again leaving Meta Knight to his thoughts. Had he made a difference? So many in the Galaxy Soldier Army had looked up to him: Kit Cosmos, Jecra, Garlude, Sir Arthur and more. They had fought on even in the face of impossible odds. What is it he had inspired in them? To never yield in the face of strife? To fight on for the greater good no matter the personal cost?

If anything can be done, then I will strive to do it.

Maybe he and the Galaxy Soldier Army hadn't gained much against the actual entity of Nightmare himself; the being still existed after all. But maybe the greater value was in preventing the deaths of even more innocents and the fact that Nightmare hadn't completely taken over the galaxy. Popstar was relatively safe, was it not? Despite the presence of demonbeasts, it had never even come close to becoming a hub of activities for Nightmare Enterprises. And if he could no longer take the fight as he used to, he could still guide those to do the same and maybe, just maybe, achieve that ultimate goal of destroying Nightmare for good.

Kirby needs me for that and I'll help him all I can to do so.

If he could make any kind of difference at all, it would be worth it.

"Meta!"

"Hmm?" Meta Knight turned round. "Kirby, what are you doing out here?"

Despite the tumultuous weather, the young Star Warrior walked up to Meta Knight holding a parasol that he had copied earlier. Considering what he went through at such a tender age, Meta Knight wondered how Kirby could stay so happy and innocent and wished that he too had that inner peace. But as he thought that, he realised that Kirby looked unusually solemn.

"What's wrong, Kirby?" Meta Knight asked. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Kirby pointed to his mentor's arm. "Meta hurt."

"I'm fine," the older warrior said hurriedly. Even as he spoke though, his sword arm throbbed angrily, made worse by the cold and rain. It was his own fault of course. He could have quite easily brooded indoors but misery loved company didn't it? Besides, he would have probably been interrupted by some inane thing Dedede wanted him to do. "I'm only sorry you had to be dragged into the mess. At least you were not injured."

Kirby shook his head and gently tugged at Meta Knight to follow him. "Sword and Blade help."

Sword and Blade, his two apprentices. Ever since he had saved them from the possibility of being mauled to death by Wolfwrath, their loyalty to him knew no bounds and they held him in the absolute highest regard and respect. From petty outlaws, they had become fine knights indeed, always on patrol with the intention of keeping the townspeople safe. Such was their loyalty that they had even tried to destroy Wolfwrath themselves when it had rendered Meta Knight unconscious despite his command to leave it alone and keep Kirby protected. Their expertise in mechanics was always extremely useful as, especially as they contributed to Meta Knight's grand plan, one that he hoped would let them take the fight to Nightmare and destroy him once and for all. They would have been lost without him.

The thought amused Meta Knight in a way he could not quite explain. Considering he had spent years on such a plan, he must surely have had hope that Nightmare could be defeated after all, even after they had lost so much. He had lost many friends over the years but he had gained new friends since including the children Tiff and Tuff. He knew, once the arrival of Kirby had made his role clear and no longer simply the king's lackey, that he had come to garner their respect, helping them in his own subtle way to stand up to King Dedede, help the people of Cappy Town, help Kirby and do what was right. There was all the difference.

Even once he was gone, they would keep his memory alive and remember him well. The fact that even against the background of a long and terrible war he could still do some good comforted the knight. They would triumph against Nightmare one day. He had not lost all hope after all.

He was alive… and not alone.

Kirby pushed the parasol into Meta Knight's good arm and ran off a little way, clearly wanting Meta Knight to follow him.

"I make a very poor patient, you know," Meta Knight said.

Kirby smiled. He didn't know what was going on exactly but it seemed that Meta Knight was less sad than before and at this moment in time, that was all that mattered. Sword and Blade would help. Tiff and Tuff would help too once they got back to the castle; Kirby would make sure of that. And maybe he could then get Meta Knight sweets or something. If there was anyone he would save sweets for, it had to be Meta Knight! No else had that high honour.

As Kirby happily led the way, Meta Knight thought: Kirby, you've grown so much. I promise you I'll help you as much as possible to take Nightmare down. We'll have peace in the galaxy. Soon, we'll take the fight to Nightmare. You're ready now and I couldn't be more proud of you, Kirby.

As they climbed the hill to Dedede's castle, the rain soon stopped and the bright sun broke through the dark clouds once more.