Wind whipped across the expansive field, causing Meta's cape to flare out behind him. He walked several steps ahead of his companion, staring ahead, looking for threats with practiced precision. He could sense a threat approaching, but the magnitude of the threat remained unknown to him. Kirby trailed behind him, looking ahead with grim determination. A fiery circlet blazed on his head, indicating the ability he was wielding. Red-orange flames trailed far behind him. The king had stayed at the castle, prepared to defend it should a secondary force attack there.

"Stop" Meta barked. Kirby barely avoided bumping into the man, and looked where he was pointing. An enormous, black battleship loomed on the horizon, bristling with numerous weapons. Kirby looked at Meta.

"It's huge" he gasped. Nothing like it had ever been sent to attack Dreamland. Meta slid his gaze to the child.

"It's a sign of war" he intoned, allowing the ominous implications of his words to hang heavy in the air. Meta allowed his wings to take shape and expand to their full impressive size. "You can take care of the ground forces, I assume?" Kirby nodded, fierce determination on his face.

"Be safe" he said. Meta paused from preparing to take off.

"I suppose it would be mildly irritating if you perished" he drawled. It only took one powerful wing-stroke to propel him into the air. He briefly hovered, before darting off towards his target with blinding speed. Kirby watched him go, before he locked his gaze back onto the looming warship. A small amount of steam escaped his mouth. Angry was a rare state for him to be in, but the prospect of those demon beasts coming to hurt people he cared about caused fury to creep into his heart.

High above, Meta streaked through the air, approaching the ship. As with most creations of Nightmare, he had greatly accelerated healing and thus had entirely healed over the past months. He was at full fighting capacity, and able to fulfill the legends of his deadly prowess whispered about by enemies and allies alike. He was also extraordinarily angry, and ready to enact his all-encompassing hatred upon his target.

Numerous smaller ships surrounded the main one, and they quickly became Meta's first target. Several ships on the outer edges of the group found themselves suddenly impaled by numerous shards of energy. Meta's visor managed to pick up the communications at a closer range, despite his transmission channel having long been deactivated. Urgent orders crackled through to him, as well as whispers talking of the great Lord Meta having risen again. He grinned wickedly. That title had always suited him well.

He climbed higher, a manic sense of joy filling his chest. Freedom was intoxicating, and the chance for revenge even more so. He hovered high above his target for a few moments, before diving, screaming through the skies at incredible speed. An energy blade formed within his hands, and sliced easily through the cockpits of the enemy ships. A trail of wreckage fell from the sky behind him as he deftly weaved around any attempted defense.

He looped back, gracefully arcing through the sky and weaving around the cannon fire. He sent a ring of energy blades before him that smashed easily through the wind shield of the massive warship. He slipped through the hole, and landed expertly, summoning a plasma cannon that landed heavily on the deck of the ship. He rested his foot lightly on the fire button as the crew desperately tried to stop him.

"Wonder what this does?" he called out, before jamming the button down.

Kirby barely noticed the massive explosion in the distance as he took out another wave of enemies. Fire whirled around him as he sent expert blasts at his foes. The grassy field was trampled and singed, littered with fallen demon beasts. He unleashed a final blast of fire, and the area went silent.

"Are they finally done-? "Kirby was grabbed and lofted into the air with great force. He barely stopped himself from reflexively throwing a fire-coated punch at his apparent captor.

"That ship wasn't their main weapon" Meta said. He was pale, and a sense of terror hung around him. A distant rumbling echoed from the direction of the now fallen ship.

"What is that?" Kirby squeaked. Meta sped up as a monstrous creature emerged from the tree line. It was covered in deep red, oily fur, and its gaping jaw was lined with innumerable razor sharp teeth. Menacing red flames leaked from the sides of its mouth.

"Wolfwrath" Meta murmured, the name alone causing a chill to run through him. Kirby widened his eyes. The demon beast looked utterly terrifying.

"What do we do?" he shouted, voice carrying over the rushing wind.

"We flee" Meta answered, turning sharply.

"Then what?"

"We try to survive" he said, scanning the area. His eyes fixed onto the shoreline ahead, noting the harsh waves pounding onto the sand. "You have a water ability, correct?"

"Yeah?" Kirby said slowly.

"All Wolfwrath have an inner flame burning in their core. If we can extinguish that…"

"…We can beat him" Kirby finished. Meta narrowed his eyes at the interruption, but nodded.

"Precisely." Meta paused, before continuing. "You can gain abilities on contact, correct?" he asked, diving down until he was a mere ten feet above the waves.

"Um, yeah I gue-"Meta suddenly relinquished his grip on Kirby, sending the youth crashing into the sea. Meta arced back and landed on the beach, facing the oncoming beast. A multitude of blades formed around him as his wings flared out, pulsing with energy. The creature leapt from the cliff overlooking the beach, leaving an impressive crater as it landed. Before it could reach its prey, a great pillar of dark energy erupted from the ground, slamming into its stomach. The spire of energy failed to penetrate the Wolfwrath's thick hide, and shattered into thousands of glittering shards. It responded with a great burst of fire, which Meta narrowly dodged. A steaming mass of opaque glass was left where the attack impacted.

"Damn" he muttered. Meta sent a stream of blades at the beast, all of which were repelled and shattered. It surged forward, bringing massive jaws down on the space Meta had occupied mere seconds ago. He flung his own attack back, and celebrated internally when several blades lodged into the thing's mouth. Its mouth was momentarily propped open by one before it crushed it between wickedly sharp fangs. An idea formed in his mind, but he would need his companion's assistance. As if on cue, a jet of water repelled the Wolfwrath. Kirby surfed out of the sea on his own personal wave, and glared at Meta. A glistening pillar of water rested on his head.

"I could have drowned" he huffed. Meta shrugged.

"You didn't" he said. A horrifying roar echoed through the air, causing them to abandon the miniature quarrel. "Listen. I'll create an opening, and you have to make the strongest attack possible" he ordered. Kirby nodded, and Meta darted forward. The man jumped over the beast's head, and landed on its back, digging the metal extensions of his gloves deep into the oily fur. Kirby widened his eyes in surprise as a silvery glow emanated from Meta's chest. The wind picked up noticeably, and an enormous jagged pillar of energy ringed by a whirlwind slammed up through the Wolfwrath, impaling its jaws and forcing its mouth wide open. Meta looked up at Kirby, gray light shining in his eyes.

"Now!" he screamed. Kirby mustered every bit of power within him and sent a massive jet of water into the beast's throat. Meta jumped from its back as a sound like hissing steam filled the air. It let out one final agonized roar, before the fire burning behind its eyes went out. The monster slumped onto the sand. Meta took only a few steps before collapsing.

"Meta!" Kirby ran to his side, finding the man unconscious, but apparently uninjured. He picked him up with strength seemingly impossible for his small stature, and dashed off towards the castle, not sparing the Wolfwrath's husk a second glance.

(Author's note: At least Meta didn't end up with a fang in his forehead like in the anime. He also had time to be a giant dick even in the midst of battle. As always, I hope you enjoyed! -Poecilotheria)