A/N: Well, at least it didn't take me an entire month to get this update out. :P Yes, it's really short, but the next one should be longer. This one's really more of a bridge chapter. Expect more plot development next time around!
Meta Knight's lips curled into a satisfied smirk.
Yes, his plan was absolutely flawless. As he stared at his prized weapon, which was cradled in his gloved hands, the Star Warrior felt a surge of the triumph that would soon follow. With Galaxia, his dream of marrying Marryane would finally come to fruition. And the perfect bride wasn't the only reward he would receive. After all these years of quietly taking orders from that wretched Dedede, Meta Knight would at last be free! No more menial tasks, no more apocryphal loyalty... The sweetness that would come with his victory nearly made his mouth water.
He was going to kill that loathsome king. His plan was simple yet effective; Wait until nightfall, make sure that Escargon was cozy in his living quarters, stealthily sneak past the patrols of Waddle Dees and into Dedede's bedroom. There, he would be completely defenseless at the hands of a skilled swordsman. One simple swipe through the center would do the job nicely. Yes... That's all that it would take. If the tyrant's screams happened to wake anyone up, the navy puffball would simply do away with them as well. He'd kill every resident of Dreamland if he had to, as long as it meant obtaining what his heart desired.
Now all that was left to do was wait.
An odious stench rose from the vile in thick plumes of steam. With a great deal of concentration, Escargon poured a few millimeters of a separate solution into the concoction, which made it turn a sickly green before fizzling over to a deep shade of scarlet.
Knowing that his experiment had turned out to be a success, Escargon gave a joyous cheer. At last, the fruit of his labor was complete. Using his scientific prowess and knowledge, the snail had spent the day in the underground laboratory, mixing together various mixtures and solutions in a frantic attempt to get the result that he desired. And now that it was finally done, Escargon sealed the vile with a cork and placed it in an empty slot on a rack that rested in a refrigerator. After shutting the appliance door he removed his pair of gloves as well as his goggles and lab coat, putting them back in the appropriate spots. Once his appearance was simple enough to be considered unsuspicious he slithered up the basement staircase and down through the castle corridor.
There was no way that Dedede would ever suspect any foul play. How could he ever suspect his right hand man of creating a potion that would poison and kill one upon consumption? All that Escargon had to do was slip some into the king's evening glass of wine, and then the woman he enamored would be his for the taking.
The snail let out a devilish cackle as he slipped into his living quarters. All that stood between him and Maryanne now was a few hours of waiting for all the suitors to give up and go home for the night.
It was rather unfortunate for Escargon that two knaves had just so happened to be patrolling near his room at that time.
"Blade?"
Said knight looked up at the face of his companion, which was masqueraded by his teal colored helmet. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Sword gave a small nod, feeling as though he were on the exact same wavelength as the smaller armored being at his side. "Escargon must be up to something. It isn't quite natural to randomly burst out into evil laughter like that."
"Perhaps he's been watching too much daytime television lately?"
"No, that can't be right." Sword propped his chin in his hand as he began to ponder the situation. "Well, I thought that I noticed an odd smell coming from the basement area. I think that it would be safe to assume that he's been up to something down there."
"Well then, shall we investigate?" Blade started to march towards the basement doorway, the red ponytail that trailed form his helmet swaying in the wind as he walked, but Sword's hand on his shoulder brought him to a halt.
"I don't think that we should both go down there," the older knight warned in a hushed tone, hoping that no passersby had heard their plan. Luckily most of the Cappies that had invaded the castle earlier in the day were occupying the throne room and the surrounding area, so here they were safe for the most part. However, there was still the threat that a Waddle Dee or perhaps Dedede himself might come wandering by and see what they were up to, and Sword didn't want to take any chance of getting caught.
Blade nodded in understanding. "Alright then, why don't I stay up here and keep watch, and you go down to investigate? If anyone comes, I'll let you know."
"Sounds good." With that, Sword slowly opened the basement door, wincing at the loud creaking noise it made in the process. After receiving a "Good luck!" from Blade, he shut the door and made his way down the old staircase.
The stench grew overwhelmingly powerful as the knight reached the bottom of the flight of stairs. He gagged slightly before forcing himself to continue through the dank basement. After wandering past the wine cellar and the torture chamber, he came across yet another door. Judging by the fact that the toxic smell seemed to be emanating from here, it was safe to assume that this was in fact Escargon's laboratory, and he made his way through the entrance.
Various chemicals were strewn about the room, contained in a menagerie of beakers, viles and test tubes. A cage full of odd rodent-like creatures was resting atop a table in the corner, and they appeared to be the snail's test subjects. The eastern wall was spotlighted by a chalkboard, with several formulas scribbled across its black surface in a messy scrawl. Apart from a single light bulb dangling precariously from the ceiling, there was no light source, and the whole room had an eerie feel to it.
Sword wandered past a table that had files scattered across it and computer which was giving off a faint glow over to refrigerator. His gloved hand reached for the handle, and after opening it, his eyes locked on to the producer of the fumes. A vile marked with the label "Poison: Do not ingest or get in eyes" was housed on a shelf.
The vassal gave an audible gasp at his discovery. Now why exactly would Escargon be mixing a poison solution for? Was it another attempt to bring down Kirby, after the demon beasts had continued to fail? No... they wouldn't stoop that low, would they? Or... was it for someone other than Dreamland's hero?
"He's probably gone and finally cracked," the armored soldier deduced, recalling all the abuse that the snail had suffered over the years from the penguin to whom he was loyal to. "I never thought that he'd have the guts to man up and do it." While the aspect of seeing the cruel king's tyranny finally come to an end didn't sound at all unappealing, Sword knew that he couldn't just let this little find slip away without any mention. With a conflicted sigh, he grabbed the vile and stuck it in his pocket, before double checking that any sign of his trespassing had been erased before exiting the lab and the basement.
"Blade!" Sword announced victoriously as he emerged from the underground chamber back into the corridor, "You'll never believe what I found down there! ...Blade?"
The vassal scanned the corridor several times, checking behind each pillar and statue. "Blade?" His call went unanswered. The pink helmeted knight had disappeared.
"Great. He left his post," Sword mumbled with a tinge of annoyance. What if someone had come and found him rummaging through Escargon's belongings? He probably would have had his head sliced off right then and there!
Oh well. Perhaps Sir Meta Knight called him away or something. Taking one last glance at the basement door, Sword hurried away from the scene of the crime in order to find his companion and fill him in on what he'd discovered.
