A/N: This is what happens when you have a writer's block: you start writing a completely new fic in completely the wrong fandom. Discussions in KRR have led me to this, and here, I'll answer all those rhetorical, ridiculous questions. Plus there's very little fics which centralise around the GSA.

This story focuses on Meta Knight and his past from creation to Pupu Village, and how he turned from a demon beast to a Star Warrior. Yes, he is an experiment in this. If you don't like that theory, either read this and see my point of view, or don't read it altogether. It's entirely up to you.

Few important points about the chapter: I tried to make Nightmare see his demon beasts as 'its' rather than have genders, so hopefully you can see that characteristic rather than think how repetitive it is. And I'll be calling Meta Knight a Star Warrior for a while, even though he technically isn't one (yet), since that is what Nightmare and Meta Knight himself believe he is.

Those who are reading, please enjoy the opening chapter! And terribly sorry about the lengthy author's note!

Disclaimer: Naturally, the people you recognise will belong to Nintendo. Random demon beasts and a number of ninjas and warriors will be mine. I'll say which things are mine when the chapters come to make things easier.

-- Chapter 1: According to Plan --

Nightmare observed from the corner the works of his next creation. This room was the source of where everything began, with its high-tech machinery and everlasting experiments. In all areas of the dark room, servants sufficiently worked at their designated places. Some were frantically tapping away at touch screens with their multiple arms, others were taking samples from deep blue liquid and scrutinising the solution with their one eye.

Naturally, these demon beasts were created to do that job.

It saved him from putting his fingers into something so trivial and it served as an efficient way of producing the large variety of demon beasts he owned. With so many creations under his command, he could do anything with a single thought. All creations were made to be useful to him in some way, whether that was for spying, power or speed.

However, he still had a long way to go. And this one in making would be the one most valuable to him.

Nightmare caught one of the attendants' eyes and beckoned it over. With its three legs, it hurried over to him frantically, bowing down to him as it got closer.

"What is it, Your Honour?" it questioned, its furry head bent down and waiting avidly for his command. Its spidery legs shook uncontrollably under the strained weight of his large body, but it held its posture regardless of their protests.

"Is it ready yet?" He had been waiting seventy years for this moment, and he wasn't going to wait for any longer. His hand clenched as he saw the demon beast before him bend lower apologetically.

"I'm most sorry, Your Honour. Preparations must be perfect for it to work." Its legs buckled even more as its face drew closer to the floor. "It will be finished today."

"It better be," Nightmare snapped, his eyes narrowing.

Under the pressure of its weight and Nightmare's haunting glare, the creature suddenly fell onto the floor, breaking the respectable bow. It was extremely sudden, and its effect was like a hot poker to ice. Its legs were spread out, and its wide eyes looked up pleadingly at the towering silhouette. "Please, Your Honour, forgive--!"

Its words were cut short as Nightmare pointed a finger at him and fired a beam of black. He watched before him the demon beast frazzle on the spot, twisting in agony. Its legs danced in the air uncontrollably as its body began to dissolve. Creatures around the room stopped their work at the shrill screaming to see the death of their companion as the struggle continued.

As suddenly as it had begun, there were no remains of the demon beast. The creatures at the machinery froze as Nightmare looked up at them, smiling. And that was never a good sign.

"If you don't want to be like that, then you should get that experiment done soon." He continued smiling as the demon beasts instantly went back to their work, typing on the touch screens quicker than before. He raised his chin as he inspected the busy atmosphere. Soon enough wasn't soon enough. He wanted that creation done now.

He needed it now.

Minutes stretched to hours, and he had successfully fried a dozen of his own creations. The beasts around him were pushing themselves to the point they were practically crying as they continued their labours. Each one was hoping they wouldn't be killed next, hoping they were providing a sufficient enough job for their master.

But demon beasts don't cry – only privileged ones deserved such a valuable thing, and he could count the number on one hand. These ones were only created to serve without a single thought on whether it was right or what they were creating. Only the key element of fear and discipline.

"Um, Your Honour?" a meek voice said next to him. "Preparations are complete. You'll finally have the best creation in your hands, and then everything in the universe will be ours!"

Nightmare grinned manically and set his gaze on the platform where all the necessary components were gathered, lifting a finger and killing the servant next to him for its mouthy remarks. Any minute now, there would be the dazzling light and then there would be the fruits of his labours. The final piece of his army.

He drummed his fingers against each other agitatedly, waiting for that light like a kid at Christmas. Soon, his dreams will come true, and he can find out the secret of the Star Warriors. He knew the experiment will be a success; it was a matter of when.

Finally, brightness filled the room. Nightmare shielded his eyes, forgetting how much he detested the process and how the light was unnatural for him. Regardless, he was so excited he kept his fingers open so he could peek through the minute gap.

A small ball appeared on the platform, and the blinding light ceased. The creatures seated at their touch screens collapsed as their work drew to a close. In their boss' good mood, they knew they would not be killed unless it was for a suitable reason. To maintain that good mood, they filed up between Nightmare and the newly created beast.

Nightmare made his way towards the platform swiftly between the rows of servants, adrenaline rushing through his fingers as he reached out to touch his perfect creation at last.

His fingers stopped midway.

The puffball on it was smaller than he expected. Its deep blue skin matched the solution he saw the one eyed creatures experiment with, and its shoes were purple, a similar shade to his own cloak. Strong leathery wings with claw like joints were outstretched on the platform, strongly resembling a snow angel. Its eyes were closed, mouth slightly open as it breathed steadily.

Nightmare drew back his skeletal hand, hiding it in the depths of his cloak. It would serve as an asset for his intentions, but that wasn't the only thing he liked about it already. This demon beast was by far the one most similar to him. It was genetically modified that way. He didn't know how this beast was like him, however it was as good as his child – no other demon beast got that status.

There were still a few loose ends, even if his own Star Warrior was perfect in every way. "Bring in those final shots necessary!" he ordered his already waiting servants. He turned away from the platform and issued commands as he progressed his way down the long file of demon beasts, pointing alternating directions as he did so. "Make those wings turn into a cloak or something – we don't want the Star Warriors to find out it's a demon beast. Get the starship ready for launch. And where's my spirit?"

The beasts around him scattered and branched off in several different directions. Nightmare observed this activity and suddenly picked out one which seemed the most idle. He could taste the fear of it as it bowed down to him.

"This Star Warrior," he began calmly, "it has to sleep to mature. How long for?"

The hidden lens under a mop of tangled wires looked up at Nightmare's question. "It's a he. And he'd have to sleep for at least three hundred years." The robotic creature shrank as Nightmare pointed a finger at it menacingly.

"A he, you say?" he mused, his finger poised between the pair of them. "And do you think, my little minion, I can wait three hundred years after just seeing him after seventy?" He smirked as the robot shook its head frantically.

"But we can't do anything about it! If he's going to grow up thinking he's a Star Warrior, he has to sleep for that long just like any other," the beast explained.

Nightmare pondered over the demon beast's words. Waking him up earlier would cause problems, and the results would be highly unpredictable. He had expected a mere fifty years of napping. He didn't imagine it to be six times as much.

"Fine," he said at last. The demon beast gave a sigh of relief as he lowered his finger. "Put Moony in the starship with him to notify us immediately when he will wake. Make sure you alter its lifespan before doing so."

"Y-yes Your Honour," the demon beast uttered immediately, bowing repeatedly as it left Nightmare. Not many Beasts survived from one of Nightmare's death threats, and it was thankful to still live.

Nightmare needed to spare a few valuable lives. Sacrificing too many was a pain to compensate, and he had more important things to dedicate his time to rather than make more creations to unleash his wrath on.

A one footed demon beast came over and passed Nightmare his drink of spirit, before dashing away almost as soon as Nightmare had snatched the drink from it. He drained the glass impatiently, throwing it soon after at the same demon beast for not waiting for him to finish. The glass was caught in midair and floated behind the one footed servant.

He watched a pair of highly specialised scientists on the platform prod the puffball carefully before injecting more chemicals, who was now propped up by a few smaller demon beasts. A robed creature with long green tresses was stroking his wings, and the vague outline of a cloak could be seen. And through this, the Star Warrior continued to sleep.

The robotic demon beast he had spoken to earlier came back into the room with something small in its grasp. It set the small thing on a low table and from its belly, a compartment opened and a needle emerged. The point soon made contact with the small thing he couldn't see, and could only presume it was Moony.

A silver starship was brought into the room within a few short minutes and was pulled to the platform by several strongly built demon beasts that were meant to represent minotaurs. That piece of machinery was what Star Warriors depended on to grow up in and travel. Now that he had successfully created his own Star Warrior and his own phoney starship to match, there would be no one who would suspect him otherwise.

Nightmare laughed to himself as he went over to see how preparations were at closer quarters. The scientists took a step back, bowed to him, then left the room after injecting the final chemical. The robed beast lowered her head to acknowledge him, then continued work on the Star Warrior's cloak. There was more colour to it now that he was closer.

Everything was going according to plan. It would be delayed by two hundred and fifty years, but that didn't concern Nightmare anymore. He could wait however many years for the Star Warriors' secret. He knew all about the Galaxy Soldier Army and their many members' tactics and weaknesses. What he didn't know about was the Star Warriors. The purpose of creating his own Star Warrior was to achieve that information without arousing suspicion, and if it took him four hundred years to finally obtain that information, it would be better than handing the job to someone else.

That secret was something worth waiting for. Something that could be his downfall, or his victory.

The robed creature stepped back as the cloak was finally complete. It was blue to match his skin, complete with an aquamarine mantle. Nightmare complimented the creature with a brief nod of his head.

The minotaurs hoisted the puffball onto their wide shoulders and placed him in the seat of the starship. The Star Warrior fitted perfectly in the seat there, snug for his long sleep. The demon beast with the wiry head jogged over and stuck Moony on the inside of the starship hastily. From the brief moment Nightmare saw it, it was a silver snake-like body with tiny arms.

Nightmare held up one of his hands as one of the minotaurs made their way to close the hatch. He looked at the puffball still sleeping there, breathing in and out peacefully. Knowing he was his son, he placed a thin hand onto the Star Warrior's head. It felt warm, and it somehow forced a feeling Nightmare never knew he had: affection. In that brief moment, he felt some connection, one which he didn't have with any other demon beast. Was it because they were connected by blood? Was it because he had never touched a sleeping demon beast before?

"Send him into orbit," Nightmare said as he removed his hand swiftly. Whatever he was feeling, it didn't make a difference. Without questioning his sudden paternal gesture, the minotaurs complied and sealed the starship. Nightmare's gaze followed the silver machine through his glasses, watching until it left the room and the doors closed behind it.

"Tell me something, Spinner," Nightmare ordered the green haired demon beast next to him without turning round. "After three hundred years, will he know he's part of HNM?"

Spinner bowed her head before replying. "Some of his genetics are yours, Your Honour. His behaviour, attitude and intentions are similar to yours. Whether he will know about his true existence is debatable, Your Honour."

"So will he know about his mission?"

"Yes, Your Honour."

Nightmare was happy to hear this. Something could easily go wrong if he didn't know what his mission was. Things will go exactly as planned. "Once he wakes up three hundred years later, we will find out where he is through Moony and then we need to send a powerful demon beast to Larpez right away."

"Why Larpez, Your Honour?" Spinner dared to ask. "The Galaxy Soldier Army are on Xenon. Why lure him to a star so far away?"

Nightmare tucked his hand into his cloak. "If we sent him right next door, other Star Warriors will detect the demon beast and slay it before our comrade stands even a chance at getting in. No, better to have the fight a good distance away, hence why Larpez is most suitable. The timing would be most unfortunate, and then they have no choice but to take our prized, perhaps wounded little comrade. Once he's in, he'll obtain the information for me at long last. It's just like the Trojan War." Nightmare tilted his head to the side, smirking evilly at Spinner. "Would you care to do the job?"

After a brief moment of shock, Spinner lowered her head with obedience. "I'm very grateful you assigned me this important job, Your Honour. I won't fail."

Nightmare's grin widened, before making his way across the broad room to the exit. His experiment was a success – he couldn't afford to waste any more time here.

"Your Honour?" Spinner's voice called. He stopped in his tracks, waiting for the demon beast's question. "Why didn't you give him a name?"

"I thought I might as well leave it for those good-for-nothing Star Warriors to decide," he replied simply. On that final note, he strode down the room and left through the metal sliding doors without any further interruptions.

Things will go exactly as planned.

-- End --

A/N: There! First chapter done. I completely made up Larpez, Spinner, and all those other crazy demon beasts you've never heard of before. Xenon's an element I picked out from the Periodic Table, if you want to know :) This is the opening chapter, so it should set the scene a bit for you.

Please let me know what you thought of it so far!

Edit 19/02 - Made major edits in terms of demon beasts and description.