Hey there! Well, after reading For Prosperity, a couple of people have said that they would like to see Meta Knight's perspective on his battles with Kirby in Kirby: Planet Robobot as well as the Galacta Knight battle. This one has been especially good to write; sometimes you just get a good feeling about them. It was just really hard coming up with a good title. Gah.

It's funny really that out of the franchises I play, Kirby is the most recent one I've got into by far, 2015 in fact, and yet it's the one I seem to have the most ideas for as well as the one I seem to have the most fascination for at the moment. Enjoy. :)

Edit: Some slight changes to Galaxia's dialogue. The dear heart thing had been inspired by the story Dreamland University which is now no longer on this site despite it being utterly awesome. This has saddened me greatly. So anyway, I thought I'd remove those instances (mentioned in a review on here) as it doesn't quite fit and do some punctuation changes, OK?

A Healing Heart: Part 1

"You will keep an eye on him, sire?"

"Is that a request or an order?"

"A request, of course, to which I am sure you will be agreeable."

"Uhh, you sure have a way with words, Meta Knight. Anyway, it's the least I can do I suppose even if he's just gonna be sleepin'."

After extensive reconnaissance, Meta Knight determined that the threat of the Haltmann Works Company had not entirely dissipated despite Kirby's incredible battle against the Mother Computer. The construct – also known as Star Dream – had threatened to exterminate all life in its new quest to ensure eternal prosperity. Kirby had defeated it, yes, but Meta Knight's instincts, which were rarely ever wrong, told him that perhaps an element of Star Dream still existed, a back-up system perhaps, which a powerful supercomputer such as Star Dream would surely have to ensure its survival. Even if this was not the case, there were still mechanical monsters around that he, the knight of Dream Land, would dispatch as was his sworn duty.

Returning to Dream Land only to deliver his report to King Dedede and oversee necessary repairs to the Halberd, Meta Knight had taken it upon himself to deal with the last vestiges of the mechanical invasion while Kirby, understandably exhausted by the trials he had recently been through, slept, all but dead to the world. He was currently residing in one of Dedede's guest rooms in the king's temporary accommodation (after all, what self-respecting monarch didn't have more than one palatial residence?) whilst his main castle was undergoing serious reconstruction. While Kirby could have stayed at home, Meta Knight insisted that he take the time to recover at Dedede's castle because he would have food provided for him at least to which Kirby instantly and happily agreed. (Besides, Meta Knight had thought with an inner chill, if the invaders were still here and they caught an exhausted Kirby off-guard… the results did not bear thinking about.)

Again, Kirby had excelled himself and Meta Knight could not help but feel an intense pride for the boy's courage and strength. But now he needed to recover and replenish his energy for the next time that Dream Land, or even the whole of Popstar, faced danger from beyond…

"I still don't see why I can't come with you," Dedede grumbled.

"You need to remain here, sire, and assure the populace that the invasion has been stopped by Kirby, that I will be ensuring the kingdom's safety by removing all traces of any remaining mechanical invaders and that you shall be directing relief and construction efforts."

King Dedede raised his arms and almost knocked a Waddle Dee delivering refreshments to the ground. "Yeah, I know all that! I jus' feel that I'm not actually doin' anythin' useful! I'm not there in the midst of action. I didn't even get the chance to get involved this time considerin' I was stuck in my own castle fer much of the invasion."

"Assuring Dream Land's citizens of their safety is useful, sire," Meta Knight soothed. "Ensuring that affected individuals, those who had been mechanised for example, get appropriate help and comfort is also useful. And of course, you will need to draw up plans and be here to give approval to certain areas of reconstruction within the kingdom."

"This is gonna cost me a fortune!"

"Perhaps not. Most of the company's mechanical landscaping was erased once Star Dream was defeated. That which does remain can perhaps be auctioned off to other kingdoms and industries to raise funds if you so wish. Besides, it is the psychological factor of the invasion that you will need to pay the most attention to."

"I guess so," Dedede sighed. He sipped at the beverage the Waddle Dee had brought him. "Still, seems a bit strange when the last time we had a major problem like this, I went an' found the underlyin' problem in Floralia an' beat it good. You weren't even around that time. Where were ya anyway?"

"You did send me on that diplomatic mission on the other side of the world and since I did not have the Halberd with me, I could hardly have returned to Dream Land in time to prevent the problem from further escalating."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that thing. An' you did a good job of it. Hey, maybe I could petition Floralia to help us out; they owe me a favour anyway. And you did say that they hadn't actually been affected by that there mechanisin'."

"An excellent idea. May I take leave now, sire? I believe preparations are almost complete and it would not do to waste any more time."

"Well, you gave me yer report filled the usual formal language so that's all fine an' dandy but I gotta know: I know you tried fightin' off them invaders with your fancy ship but it got blasted an' went down. You got the Halberd fixed an' went assessin' the current situation but what happened to you in the meantime? When you got blasted, did that company capture you or somethin'? I sure didn't see any trace of you after that. You didn't mention yerself much in that report, Meta Knight, but I'm guessing somethin' happened, right?"

Meta Knight still had his cape wrapped him wholly as was his habit and as such, along with his trademark mask, his body language was hard to read. Nevertheless, there was a subtle shift in his posture and his eyes, for the briefest of moments, flickered red.

"I shall have to explain another time, sire," Meta Knight spoke. "Time is pressing and I do not want to give the invaders a chance to recover themselves if there so happens to be more remaining than we first suspected."

"Sure thing," said Dedede hastily, noting the sudden cold tones in the warrior's voice. "Well, I suppose I better get on with my speechifyin' an' call another meetin' while you get on with yer job. Uhh, jus' be careful out there, alright? Kirby's currently outta traction an' I don't want you outta traction neither."

"As I ever will be, sire."

"Oh, hey, before you go, take Bandana Dee with you, would ya? He said that he helped Kirby when he could by providin' him with health supplies or somethin'. Maybe he could do the same fer you?"

"Perhaps so. He will also be a helpful hand on the Halberd as he knows a little of its inner workings. Tell him to prepare for immediate leave. I cannot delay any longer."

With that, Meta Knight's cape swept the floor as he turned around and exited the hall leaving Dream Land's monarch to figure out how best to address his people and somehow ease their worries and wonder what had truly happened to the people he knew and had grown to respect during this latest assault on the planet Popstar.

"Meta!" a young voice cried out. "Meta!"

Model #M-7110 Mecha Knight. The security guard who protected the Haltmann Works Company and its ideals. Mission: Eradicate any and all threats to the company. Target acquired. Ensure enemy does not escape. Current Power Level: 100%. Attack mode activated. All weapons usable. 3, 2, 1, activate!

"M-Meta! P-please! AHHHH!"

Successful attack. Flesh wounds. Current surroundings: stable. Enemy currently engaging in Sword Mode. Enemy attempting multiple attacks. Successful strike against enemy. Enemy damage taken. Enemy currently engaging in Neutral Mode. Enemy swallowed star. Enemy currently engaging in Sword Mode. Execute attack program.

"Please listen!"

Damage taken. Main power core protected. All weapons still usable. Enemy heart rate and breathing rate high.

Target acquired: Energy Beam Focus. Energy Output stable. Heat levels normal. Target acquired: Sword Wave. Systems operating at full capacity. Current Power Level: 75%. Current Enemy Power Level: 51%. Engage the target at closer range. Attack.

"Meta! M-Meta!"

Falling debris. Enemy attack on increase. Activate Evasion Tactics. Charge up Sword Mode to maximum. Damage to System detected. Exercise caution in approaching target. Current Power Level: 50%. Current Enemy Power Level: 45%. Battle Time Elapsed: 8 minutes 54 seconds and counting.

"I don't wanna do this…"

Target currently weeping. Morale: low. Heart rate and breathing rate further increased. Determination: Query. Enemy heat output: high. Current Enemy Power Level: Unreadable. Overall Status: Unreadable. Question: what is this lifeform?

"Meta Knight…"

Enemy attack high. Extra power detected. Significant damage taken. System Warning. System Warning. Execute . Execute—ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. SYSTEM WARNING. SYSTEM WARNING. SYSTEM WAR—

Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…

Meta Knight's sword struck down another Grade 5 enemy, what laymen would term a 'mid-boss', with ease, his sword glowing brightly with each foe dispatched, drinking their energy and fuelling its strength. Here he was in his element, here he was truly alive. He had destroyed Clanky Woods 2.0, another upgraded model of the Haltmann Works Company, he had destroyed more powerful versions of existing holograms and he would continue to destroy all that remained a plague and a threat to the land he loved.

He sped through each area like a man possessed, occasionally activating his inner powers, including that of Galaxia Darkness. Its wonderful energy cleaved through all before him, succumbing to the blade. Not a foe would stand in his way. He would be strong. He would stand triumphant.

Barely even thinking about it, he dodged to one side before he was assaulted from above and sliced his next opponent in two, revealing the crackling innards of another mechanical body. Another one made the foolish attempt to launch itself at his back but it was far too slow and was cleaved in half before it knew what hit it.

Just as he had suspected, the Haltmann Works Company army had not yet been fully vanquished but Kirby had certainly done an excellent job in destroying the vast majority of it. He had fought one of the most tremendous battles of his life and only just about come out of it relatively unscathed. Truly the child had grown in recent years. How fast time had passed, Meta Knight thought, when he considered that not so very long ago, Kirby was so young his Copy Ability had not yet been awakened and he thus had to use other means in order to put a stop to Dedede's selfish and foolish actions. His Copy Ability range had since grown and become steadily stronger as time went by allowing him to utilise one ability in more ways than before. He had even fused his power with the company's Invader Armour allowing it to also copy many things including Meta Knight's Halberd. Kirby had truly come a long way since those early days.

Meta Knight, having an ability for such things, could sense Kirby's power increasing all the time. Sometimes, Kirby's power was so overwhelming that he had to temporarily leave the child behind in Dream Land and focus his attention elsewhere before reacclimatising himself to his new strength, hence his occasional disappearances. While it did not appear to affect anyone else, being blissfully unaware of it in fact, Meta Knight was very much conscious of Kirby's ever-increasing energy and after all this time, he still hadn't figured out why he was so aware of it or how Kirby had so much power at such a tender age. He would need to teach Kirby how to suppress at it some point, being as much for Kirby's sake as his own. Even Star Dream had commented on the near-infinite power that the child possessed and only before it had deemed all organic life weak and useless, a distasteful impediment to eternal prosperity. It had been… alarmed at the child's power.

When one thought about it, it was indeed fortunate that Kirby had such a pure heart, that he was on the side of good, that he just wanted to be friends with practically everybody and be loved. But what if he was ever manipulated in some way? What if there came a time when he was possessed, controlled, whatever, and made to perform actions against his will? Much like a certain masked warrior of Dream Land.

Meta Knight closed his eyes and sighed. What had happened was deplorable and he was deeply ashamed of it. The premier knight of Dream Land brought down and subdued in such a way…

Embarking on this quest now would only help ease his inner turmoil a little because while others would forgive him, or feel that there was no need to forgive him in the first place because what had happened was entirely out of his control, it was harder, much harder, to forgive himself.

There are times when you need not be so hard on yourself, Meta Knight.

I let myself be taken too easily, Galaxia, Meta Knight sighed inwardly, still with his eyes closed, knowing that there were no enemies nearby. I was taken into the depths of the Access Ark and I should have been able to fight back. But I could not. I was weak.

Meta Knight. His sword glowed as she communicated directly with his mind. Meta Knight opened his now green eyes, deep in thought, and continued making his way through the tower he was exploring, forever mindful of its countless lasers and unexpected pitfalls. Your ship went down after it was struck by our enemy knocking you out briefly, and before you could recover, you were attacked by an army's worth of creatures. They knew that a handful would not have been enough; they already had a purpose for you. The enemy was obviously already aware of you and would not have allowed you to be killed, only subdued. Do not call yourself weak.

But then the chamber…

Meta Knight stopped, unwilling to think about the chamber he woke up in, the chamber of a hundred machines and who knew how many lost souls. Who knew what experiments had taken place in there before now? That the company had then planned to make a production line of him only made things much worse. He wondered whether at some level he would have been aware of the countless copies being produced from him. A machine programmed to obediently carry out the orders of its master. An emotionless, killing machine, well-suited to increasing the military capabilities of any company. A cold construct, half organic, half robot, that would exterminate all identified as a threat.

Even a young child.

You are still hurt, she spoke quietly. That Galaxia did not receive an immediate response highlighted the seriousness of the situation. Meta Knight.

You were… transformed as well.

Only the outer part of myself. My true being would not have been covered for long no matter the level of this people's technology. I am a spirit of a sword. I do not feel personal pain, only that of others.

These people would not, of course, have understood or even realised the relationship between the warrior and his sword, only that it looked like a powerful if unusual-looking weapon wielded by an experienced hand. They would not have guessed that the sword was connected to its wielder even as his mind and body were assaulted on a level that there were few words for, that could barely be described, that it glowed not for the sake of glowing but in distress, in distress at her knight's torture and excruciating agony, and when she was finally cut off, his mind was like static, listening only to a computer's commands.

You must recover as well.

I must do this. Meta Knight continued to forge a path towards his goal and brought down another hulking robot. He regarded it with disgust. This could not be left alone else who knows what would happen. I will not give them time to recover when I can recover later. Who else would do this? Kirby needs to recover more than I. He's exhausted. He overstretched himself. Had I not then brought him back to Dream Land…

He will recover for he is strong like yourself though I do agree that he did overstretch himself. I of course felt his energy signature and it was at the highest I have ever felt it. Yet he had little choice but to do what he did. But you must recover also. You have been through your own trials.

Later.

The time will come when I pass on to Kirby. But it is not yet the time and it will not be for many years to come.

Galaxia fell silent leaving Meta Knight to his own thoughts and devices once more though he suddenly wished for her to speak with him again. Yet he also wished to be left alone.

"Um, sir, are you OK?" Bandana Dee asked when Meta Knight later boarded the Halberd. The warrior waved a hand and his crew immediately set to work.

"Fine. Please fetch some refreshment for I am in need of it." Bandana Dee nodded and scurried off asking no more questions.

When the Halberd reached its next destination, the masked warrior stepped into the sunlight and remained in one spot for some time, feeling the heat beat down on him but unable to shake off his inner chill. He opened his wings and took to the skies, seeking the next area he had to cleanse.

"Have a sneak peek at our latest product, hot off the production line! It's been completely updated with the newest technology. It's capable of working for 24 hours without recharging… And it's been programmed to be a merciless fighting machine. We call it Mecha Knight+. I hope you like it. Have a nice day! Buh-bye!"

His master left and would no doubt observe from the sidelines. The same enemy from before. The enemy had claimed victory before. But Mecha Knight+ was an improved model designed by the Mother Computer. Machines designed by the Mother Computer could not possibly fail. The native creature would be destroyed. Failure was not an option. Mecha Knight+ must fulfil the master's wishes. Engage. 3, 2, 1, activate!

"METAAAA!"

The native creature screaming again, screaming senseless words. Distraction tactics obviously. Do not be distracted. Target acquired. No mercy. Enemy heart rate very high.

"P-please stop, M-Meta…"

Sword Mode. Spark Mode now activated. Combine with Sword Mode. Mode combination successful. Electricity coursing at maximum. Commence attack.

"AHHHHH! AHHHHHHH!"

Thunderbolt strike successful. Enemy heart rate jittering. Enemy level of pain high. Flesh wounds detected. Burning detected. Repeat thunderbolt strike. Running at full capacity. Target lock-on unstable. Target keeps reappearing and disappearing. Target using energy field. Damage taken. Target in attack mode. Target using unknown technology. Damage taken. No mechanics detected, no electricity detected, no fuel detected. Strange energy signature detected. Query?

Target not slowing down. Target utilising mysterious energy. Enemy Power Level: Unreadable. Overall Status: Unreadable. Accumulated damage detected. Exterior damage detected. Systems running at full capacity. Spark generator powered up. Strike successful. Sword Slash. Strike successful.

"I'll free you!"

Strike with sword, strike with appendage, strike with everything possessed. Enemy damage taken. Damage taken. Further enemy damage taken. Further damage taken. Increase focus on target, surroundings neutral. Sword glowing with energy. Sword still at full capacity.

"HAAAAHHH!"

Exact the company's will. Exact the Mother Computer's will. Activate extendable appendage. Execute. No mercy.

"AHHHH! MMMMMETAAA!"

Flesh wounds detected. Blood detected. Commence further attack. Improvements on cutting capacity successful. Battle Time Elapsed: 9 minutes, 10 seconds and counting. Power up. Running extra attack program. Enemy heart rate very high. Strange energy signature remaining. Target speed increasing, attacks increasing. Overall Status: Unreadable.

Query: what is this lifeform?

Query: who created this lifeform?

Query: why?

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Significant damage taken. FATAL ERROR. FATAL ERROR. FA—