A/N: How many games can you think concerning Chess compared to playing cards? How fast do you think either game will change?

DISCLAIMER: All Kirby characters belong to their respectful owners/owner I do not own them only the plot. So not stealing. Please and Thank you. XD


Black Knightmare

The Grand Plan of Revolution


By the time all the demons within the cell had their individual nightmares one of the five still remained awake, albeit barely, and watched with unblinking eyes as time fell over his head. His name was Bro and at the time it didn't really connect in his mind as the sand man disappeared and he rose from his tiredness.

He blinked his eyes multiple times since he had no arms to rub them with. It was annoying at times especially when his near nonexistent nose itched and he had no hands to scratch it with. It was also pleasant to know that he didn't have to worry about breaking his arms when he had none or any bones because he had none of that either. What was called 'bones' were replaced with cartilage and muscles that were ( possibly against the law of physics) shallow or hallow which made great shock absorbers if he were to fall flat on his face. Which also happened a lot when he had no hands to brace himself with. But that did matter at the moment.

They had traded off about three times and by the time he woke up it was his turn to keep watch (and carefully untangled himself from Aether's cape) while everyone else slept. He was actually grateful because he did not have to endure his nightmare any longer than he had to which was not the case for the other four demons he called 'Family'.

But at that moment they seemed at peace or maybe having a blank dream which was not dreaming at all and hopefully it would stay that way for all their sakes. Though none of them were related in any way it felt like he was because they all treated each other fairly to some degree and that made him smile. He had difficulty getting to his feet because he had no hands to prop himself up on but it didn't really bother him because there was more important things than hands and arms. His eyes shifted across his fellow demons for a few seconds before turning towards the black grate cell door.

Everything was oddly quite but he could not complain if it was possibly the only time it would be silent during his shift. He fluttered his wings a couple of times to get the kinks out and it sounds like a miniature firework; luckily, the noise did not rouse the ones around him with the exception of the small shift from Aether. The thought of the winged demon's name made Bro wonder how and why he got the name.

He was hardly frightening nor was he anything special.' But he was unique ' thought the hot pink demon while he watched the shadows dance in front of his eyes. Aether was , at first, very difficult to walk up to and it was by that reason they gave him some space to adjust. After three to four days he could feel Aether lighten up bit by bit but it still wasn't enough; that was, until Sharbon got involved. Fofa thought it was too late to 'save' him per say because he was afraid he was already lost his marbles, saying that he could hear Aether argue with himself and mumbling about some very disturbing things; Bro thought otherwise.

Aether had a hidden air about him, he could call it his sixth sense or his ability to sense what was hidden. Because Bro knew that somehow in some way the winged demon was either dying on the inside or being suffocated by the very thing that kept him within his comfort zone; the latter was more likely. Though it was weak sounding Bro believed that he seemed trapped like a bird in a spacious cage, he could move and play but at the same time he wasn't free.

None of them were in the sense of being physically free but mentally they could smell the fresh air and feel like they could touch the very stars surrounding and hanging above their heads. That was a comforting feeling and the first he experienced when he met Fofa and Sharbon; unfortunately, Aether did not have such an opportunity for the first thing he likely came into contact with was loneliness. The rejection of being deemed worthless only added to the feeling and the other reason why Aether probably didn't converse with them because he may had felt beneath them. If he had a brick for every possible thing Aether experienced and went thought he could build a thousand castles.

The air within those castles would have been absent or slowly decreasing like a climb to the top of a mountain. Suffocating to death was probably his biggest fear because he didn't like the idea of not being able to breathe because it was the same as denying his will to survive and better yet live if they ever managed to escape Nightmare's fortress of death. As far as he was considered no one had attempted an escape any level below five because it was simply impossible.

Even if they did manage to get beyond all seven levels they still had a massive multilayer labyrinth to navigate and a multitude of guards and security to get through. Heck, they couldn't even get passed their own cell door without severe torture considering what happened to Fofa was just because he back sassed Heavy Knight which in a simpler term would be just talking to him. He wasn't really fazed by such things known as blood and gore because he had seen his own fair share that was enough to last him ten life times, so Fofa's condition at the time didn't really matter to him. He wasn't trying to sound mean it was more of knowing Fofa's was going to be okay and that he wasn't dragged to the air locks.

What happened happens and sometimes he hated it because it was never fair. He could last a lot longer in a battlefield than the pawns on the second level because he bled out but at least he would live through it whereas an average demon beast would get hit once or thrice then explode and die. That was another hidden thing, a bad foreboding feeling that took root within his very core: War. It was the other purpose they will soon serve since they were pawns and pawns were replaceable.

It also another reason why Sharbon had them stay up for not only bringing each other out of their nightmares if they sleep too much but also to hear any patrolling guard talk about an upcoming war they had heard from the higher ups. Though it was in its baby stages much like he was it will grow and fester over time and whoever got in its way would be devoured. It was because of that very reason that Bro believed it was high time they started forming an escape plan but with so much complications with their escape route and location it would be a delayed operation.

Hopefully within the next few days he, Fofa, and Sharbon will have a concrete plan of escape and be successful. The only thing he was worried about was losing something or someone for their freedom and since they were family they couldn't leave one another behind which could make things even more difficult. A very complex situation indeed, it made his brain hurt. So to keep himself from developing a headache Bro's mind wondered back to the winged demon; a.k.a Aether.

Even though Sharbon was the one to give out nick names he believed he would do a better job for Aether than Sharbon because they were closer in age and it would occupy his time. From what he had learned 'Aether' means void in Greek mythology and 'aos' was chaos without the 'ch'. So his name really means chaos void which suited his unique ability or eating style.

Even for pawns two or three levels above possibly never did what he did and they were practically made to devour their food and or enemies. Anyway, back to his original cart of thought, he could just call him Aether or Chaos; but why call him something so dark if he really wasn't? He was higher than what he believed, on equal grounds as all four of them and if they work together they could fulfill their dreams and achieve anything. If hope and they wishes were beyond the stars then that was where they will be free.

Beyond, across, and above the stars was where hope and dreams lay not grief and nightmares, it was through the beyond was their route of escape. Then just like that Bro thought of a perfect nick name for Aether. Better yet the perfect name for the winged demon when they could see the stars, fulfill theirs dreams, and be free from all ties to Nightmare.

Meta.

The more he thought it over the more natural it sounded as if it was his name all along. It was meaningful as well as inspiring and hopefully it would be accepted by everyone else it just had to be. It was at that same moment as well did he understand why Sharbon liked calling people by their name or nick name because it showed how considerate he was, that he recognized them as equals, and possibly for future use like code names or something even cooler than that.

So his agenda for the hours to come was to get Fofa and Sharbon working on an escape plan but the only thing that they really lacked was information and that they have no way of getting it. It really did put a dent in the road and they would have to pull the brakes on everything if they barely even knew what was leagues above their heads much less had a source to get the information from. Then came the headache.

Why does everything have to be so complicated? And why did it suddenly sound like he was in a terrible relationship?

It was really hard for Bro to tell exactly when it was 'daytime' because everything was so dark. Though the waking growls and slaughter soon told him that it was probably breakfast; plus, his friends got roused out of their sleep from the noise. Even as they were thousands upon thousands of feet below the seventh level they still heard them because it was where Sloth Swamp was located and they were the early birds and very loud when they got their bodies moving. It was also the place he, Sharbon, and Fofa thought Aether was supposed to be placed but obviously he was brutally rejected from being deemed unfit and imperfect for his master programming in which he was made for the future war. Life really sucked.

" Yo Bro, did you see anything out of the ordinary?" asked Sharbon as he patted his back, the question was like a routine and like all routines it had the same answer. When Sharbon saw Bro shake his head 'no' he frowned slightly, " Are you sure? because it was oddly quite".

Bro thought over his shift once more and besides the fat that Sharbon was correct nothing came of it so he again shook his head 'no'. Bro then absentmindedly watched as Fofa was helped to his feet by Soler Dee while Aether looked on with a glint of curiosity. He really did act like a child even when he didn't notice, always observing them closely with curious eyes but maintaining a fair distance away.

" M-Maybe they all were e-experiencing the same d-dream we had?" interjected Fofa which brought everyone's attention to him. It seemed like a distant memory when they had all woken up with a gasp as Sharbon touched the place of his would-be heart and Fofa rubbed his hands together like he was trying to conjure up a flame while Soler Dee looked on with shock along with he himself and Aether seemed to be the greatest affected because his face through a series of emotions ranging from sadness to fear and ending with forlorn.

Why? they didn't know but they all knew who because when he,Fofa, Sharbon, and Soler Dee ( to the best of their ability) described what they had dreamed they all had seen the twilight-skinned female or phantom. But when it came to Aether he had no such recollection of the female; instead, he vaguely recalled falling, a giant redwood, thousands of birds, and had met and was helped by an angelic warrior whom appeared to be his ' Guardian Demon'.

Afterwards everyone went back to sleep with the exception of Bro since it was his shift. All of them decided to wait until morning to talk about it again and try to find a connect which was they were doing.

" I highly doubt it because what were the chances of that every happening? we all had different levels of experiences and our testing process were all different from one another though I do think it could have been our memories than actually nightmares" spoke Sharbon as he attempted to make sense of it all.

" B-But aren't memories t-the same as n-nightmares? because that w-would explain why I, Bro and you saw e-each other in the same d-dream and it wasn't exactly a m-memory because when w-we had really m-met each other t-there was n-no twilight-skinned female and no m-metallic WolfWrath trying to k-kill us" said Fofa while he sat up against the stone wall adjacent to the cell door with the help of Soler Dee.

" Wait wait wait, let's start from the beginning and with what we know because all of this crap is giving me a headache" spoke Sharbon as he rubbed his temples to sooth said oncoming headache.

" Okay, so first we all woke up on the verge or either panic or heart attack. Second, we checked ourselves over to make sure everyone was alright and shortly after discussed what happened. Third, we found out that I,Fofa, and Bro all had seen each other in the same dream or our dreams were possibly linked together. And Soler Dee adds that he had seen the same phantom we had seen before we 'blacked out'" said Sharbon.

" Which leads to all four of us having the same connection or encounter to that phantom chick, who we no next to nothing about. But what strikes me as weird was that Aether met someone with pigeon wings and wasn't in the same limbo-like black and white place like we all were..." Sharbon paused to take a breath before continuing.

" Which leads me to believe that all of our dreams or nightmares were connected despite the fact of our view points being different someone was helping us through them and sending the same message" finished the ghost demon with a sigh as if the simple task of speaking took a lot of his energy.

" W-Which was?" inquired Fofa as he was just as interested as were Soler Dee and Aether." Well, it wasn't exactly a message per say, but the feeling was clear enough to where it felt like it. Meaning, to get off of this old bucket of bolts" answered Sharbon.

" B-But how? we b-barely know what's a-above and waiting for us m-much less escape the c-cell without anyone n-noticing" interjected Fofa which made Sharbon smile at Fofa's words.

" Tsk,Tsk have you learned nothing or have you forgotten that Aether was scheduled to be in the Harena with every demon brought into attendance?" replied Sharbon on the verge of laughing at their once in a lifetime good luck. Bro had put two and two together and the realization dawned upon him that an escape was possible due to their misfortune turning into unbelievably good pure luck.

" It's perfect, simple perfect timing and to our greatest misfortune to our mightiest luck" said Sharbon rubbed his hands together as the grand plan had started to form in his head.

" C-Can we actually escape? w-what if we run into s-something we didn't f-foresee or something goes w-wrong? "spoke Fofa as worry flooded his eyes while Aether and Bro looked on wondering the same thing.

" That's why we got Aether, he are going to be our key player from start to end replied Sharbon with pride which surprised both Bro and Aether as they looked at each other. What was so special about him? he were the weakest out of the bunch because Soler Dee at least had a weapon, Fofa had his shields, Bro was nimble when airborne, and Sharbon had his bubbles, and master schemes.

" What do you mean...?" questioned Aether he wasn't much to talk so his voice was very soft and on the verge of becoming a whisper nonetheless he was heard.

" Because you are the unique element. The small cause in a chain reaction that could change everything" explained Shabon.

" Plus, I'm pretty sure Nightmare would go after you the least because he would see you as not a threat. But there is always that 50/50 chance that he will but you won't be as affects as we would be. I tell ya, PERFECTO!" finished the ghost demon as his voice became more and more excited and increasing in speed to the point he was barely understood by his cellmates.

Bro could hardly believe it himself because it was a chance that they could actually escape and hopefully not partake in an all-out war against an unseen or unknown enemy and see beyond the metal fortress and see the stars that surrounded it. " S-So what's the p-plan then?" asked Fofa as his worries were put to rest for the time being as Sharbon's grin looked ready to split his face in half.

" I thought you would never ask..."

It was around the same time that the same demon once again went to see Nightmare; the ringleader of darkness and the bane of all dreamers. It had the most unfavorable task and job to relay all new and reports to his superior— good or bad.

It would rather throw itself out of an airlock and die an icy death with the vacuum of space being his coffin but no he had to do his job because there were things even more painfully that what he just thought.

The familiar swirling vortex of despair snapped the demon back to the task at hand and alerted it that it had finally reached its superior's domain. It was deep within the fortress itself and basically the heart of it as well, but not the center like a heart would be within a body. Yet, like a heart, it would be blockaded with organs that hindered anything getting too close and the defense of the 'ribs'. It proved that it would be tough to get to ,if ever, someone or something attempted to attack.

Within the demon's hands was a sheet of paper, unlike the other technological advancements in communication, it relied better on something it could feel and touch. On the sheet of thin wood was a series of printed paragraphs, thought short and simplified, they contained accurate information in their dark ink. The demon contained a nervous cough, playing it off by announcing its presence by giving the report a voice.

" My Lord, the preparations of the transporters are complete along with the fleet of specialized pawns awaiting your next orders. The enemy as we speak have began to gather willing lifeforms to participate in your game and spread hope that they can hinder your plans" the demon paused to breathe before continuing, nerves raised high as dark voices bombarded the back of its mind.

" And there was a report which stated that there was another siting of the same female demon today as seen on the monitor a few days ago. It was also confirmed that she was working with one of the guards and a Black Konoshogin" the demon paused when it had the feeling its Lord had heard enough.

" Have the defenses ready and activate the transporters. I have little time to deal with our intruder nor our traitors so let them be for now"

Just like last time its Lord's voice was calm and mellow, something that would have been the last thing to expect from the emperor of darkness. Nevertheless, the demon bowed its head, it knew its superior liked to get start to the point and not dwell on useless information and things that could wait for another time. A rather patient and slow to anger fellow despite his reputation as being the light's bane.

" Also allow the cursed guardian to bring his 'friends' with him before the event begins. I have favor to uphold"

The demon once again bowed its head out of respect, feeling the dark voices ebb away from his mind as Nightmare became quite. What the voices suggested was anything but kind as they preyed on its memories and the emotions it hides away to make it appear as any regular demon. However, it knew — no matter how hard it tried to hide it— that its Lord knew of its rising rebellion. Though small in size, it would grow over time and all it had to do was keep relying information.

Sooner or later there would be a collision of the resistance and Nightmare's forces. The fact that the dark emperor started to act was a testament to that collision. A explosion that would only result in war and bloodshed. Then again, why did it matter? The demon was as free as it could be. If it was killed, it would be spared the effort of dying slowly. If it was the opposite, it would still be the same. The demon was pretty sure that nothing would change after everything had subsides.

The cycle would continue as it always has because destiny and fate do not take kindly to beings who stray from the path. Nightmare just seemed to be an exception as the two forces that ruled to cosmos deemed his acts worthy of turning a blind eye. How did it come to know all of this to begin with? A lowly demon such as itself should not think of such things, let alone fully understand them to a certain extent.

The answer was simple: gathered information from all known sources. Knowledge was important as it was the building block to many civilizations whom built and created many grand things. It was because of its connect to one source that led to many others, challenging and traveling to different planets. Seeking for the sages of wisdom, the great race of the Kabu.

However, it had slowed down greatly because of Nightmare's preparations and the hesitation from the resistance. Because of that pregnant pause or period of nothingness it made Nightmare's conquer all possible. Well,… maybe not conquer, it was more like his process of elimination.

Destroying the planets and the beings inhabiting them because of their wrong doings and their under-the-table dealings with his resources. Darkness had the right to destroy itself, and that was exactly what the dark emperor was doing. Seeing as the divine light was in hiding or that the overseer of the true light was being reincarnated, Nightmare was left with destroying the things danger to the balance of good and evil.

It was the perfect opportunity for its Lord to display his power and signal to start their long awaited reign over the galaxy once everything was set in stone, going in one specific direction.

It, of course, wondered why they would start a revolution with something so weak as a performance by the weak, but then the demon thought it showed that their enemy was weak and that they could annihilate them in legions. Everything will run smoothly and effortlessly as long as they had Nightmare leading them they will devour everything within site.

With everything as the demon thought was going to plan Nightmare had one finally thing before dismissing the demon and starting his grand plan of a galaxy rebirth. It was something that made the demon smile for the first time since his encounter with his Lord. And to be honest the demon rather liked the sound of it because it went for both sides.

" It is finally time for the game to begin... Checkmate"

With that said the demon shuffled out of its superior's domain as fast as its feet could carry it. Already sending out commanders for all force to mobilize and prepare for the long awaited grand battle that would decide who had the right to claim the galaxy as theirs. Rising their power far beyond any other and ruling with an absolute iron fist and diamond mallet.

As the demon dashed down the corridor, it was completely unaware of the pair of eyes that stalked it, shining an intelligent and radiant gold. The eyes belonged to an unidentifiable figure as it stepped out of the shadows it hid in. Coming to a stop in the middle of the suddenly vacant corridor, as if the simple movement snuffed out the demon beasts' presence.

The information that the mysterious being heard from just outside Nightmare's domain was fascinating, yet not surprising. It was only a matter of time before the current light became too arrogant, causing Nightmare to put order back in place. Really, there was no logic when it came to the dark emperor. He was pure fear which was unorthodox and chaotic, causing destruction was what was considered natural.

However, it did bring out a being's true self as fear was just as real as reality itself. It existed in everything as nothing could escape fear, even the fearless are afraid of something. And he used himself cleverly, spreading his power over individual fears, giving them their own body and soul.

They were known as demons, beasts of darkness, or spawns of hatred and negativity, never given a proper name. They just seemed to come straight out of thin air, stolen away from their dreamers to become dreamers themselves. Nightmare had as much control over them as their creators. Appealing to their sense of humanity they retained from their origins. Really, where was the logic in that? Brainwashing, giving fears bodies and souls, restoring the light, keeping a very important person hostage,and a whole other boat load of things.

It just didn't make sense, there was no real direction. And yet it fit the demon king like a tailored suit and tie. What the mysterious figure really wanted was answers and the questions it failed to recognize as a threat. But it had to wait, it had be patient for 'second chances' never happened in the galaxy it lived in.

With that in mind, the mysterious figure vanished in the molecules of the air.

Meanwhile, back to the down side of things, the band of misfits were roused out of their plan when a thunderous amount of foot steps could be heard from thousands of feet above despite the millions of tons of metal separating them.

Sharbon paused in his speech to look up at the ceiling curiously with a raised eyebrow before returning to the matter at hand.

"Ignore them, we have to focus on what lays in front of us not above us" said Sharbon.

" Now, as I was sayin, before I was so rudely interrupted, was like this plan is going to be exactly like a card game called 'Signal' " explained Sharbon as his plans were best made when it was in relation to his trick of the trade.

" The object is to win without being noticed or without your opponent noticing what cards you have taken and calling you out for it. However, there will be a few changes…" said Sharbon, hunching over to whisper to his friends.

The whispering was necessary in Sharbon's eyes as the guards could come by at any second to escort them out. At first everyone was skeptical about the plan actually working as they had to be completely aware of what was going on around them without giving it away. Plus, they had to take many dangerous risk to achieve what they were after in order to ' win the game'. Knowing how cunning Nightmare himself can be, Sharbon suggested that they act as soon as possible.

Really, it was organized chaos as they were simply putting it all to chance. Waiting for Nightmare to act before they did and then following through from there. If the dark emperor attacked, they would dodge. If the dark emperor dodged, they would attack. In the great chance of them being backed up into the counter, they all agreed to protect one another no matter what the cost.

If even one of them made it out alive then it would be enough to feel like they did something right for a change after years of disappointment and the constant mockery, let-downs, and failures. They also knew that the memory of such an event would stay within their minds forever as either way it went could be scarring.

" I know its a little difficult considering its not an actual plan, but we are relying purely on trust here and that is the most powerful weapon we have against Nightmare" spoke Sharbon after the plan, that really wasn't a plan, settled into their minds with a firm resolve. His transparent hand hovered in the middle of their loose circle, asking for one last 'hooray!' as it could very well be the last they had physical contact or anything close to a friendly hug.

" And in the event that we might get separated, that we might find ourselves in a lonely world, I have been working on something that will always let us find a friend within the darkness. Hopefully, it will also allows us to achieve true happiness because no matter what happens we still have many more friends waiting for us beyond our fate" spoke Sharbon as he breath a sigh like a weigh was being lifted of his chest or being put on it.

Though hesitant and uncertain Aether gave Sharbon his paw while Bro was gripped by the wing since he possessed no hands nor arms. Fofa held Sharbon's hand which held Aerther's whom held Bro's, creating a tight circle. Sharbon then closed his eyes in concentration. Neither of them knew what Sharbon was doing until a bubble blossomed in front of their faces but unlike Sharbon's clear glossy bubble it glowed bright gold. Then it processed to split into four halves as Sharbon's face switched into one of strain causing Soler Dee and Fofa to at him with worried and curious filled eyes.

After the four bubbles were completely separated from each other Sharbon opened his eyes which looked slightly drain but he was quick to recover. Taking the deck of cards out of his shirt, the ghost demon selected the seven of clubs, two of diamonds, ten of diamonds, and the joker . He gave each card in according to order; Fofa was given the seven of clubs, Soler Dee received the two of diamonds, Bro got the ten of diamonds, and Aether was rewarded the joker.

With a snap of his fingers, the bubbles Sharbon had created became fused with the cards they held. One one side was the face and other was the golden bubble with the words ' Friend or Foe' printed in black on a red ribbon surrounding the bubble. " I"'m not entirely sure if they work or not but I based them specifically on your personality and what makes you who you are" explained Sharbon as they examined their cards, finding Sharbon's power was fascinating.

" D-Do you think we w-will really get separated?" asked Fofa as he looked up from his card.

" It is a possibility but I rather not lose the connection we have" replied Sharbon as that could very well be the case in the next few minutes.

Meanwhile, Bro looked at Aether's card curiously, both saw the bubble glow green as Bro looked over Aether's shoulder. The word ' Foe' vanished from the ribbon as the word ' Friend' glowed white." Looks like we were friends after all" mumbled Aether as he studied his card, turning it over to like at the face of his card. It was rather pretty in his opinion as it wasn't too dark or too light in design, almost as if it was made for him. Bro then kicked his card over to the other side, staring back at him was the seven diamond similar to Soler Dee's in terms of the sign in the corners of the card.

...

For the past three or so hours Bro, Soler Dee, and Aether busied themselves by playing 20 questions with each other while Sharbon and Fofa has their own private conversation. The more they traded answers the more Aether began to open up even though he was late in doing so it was better that than never. Aether was actually beginning to enjoy himself as Bro and Soler Dee fought over who was larger than the other as they were both relatively the same size. After a while of it Aether decided to break it up before they caused a ruckus.

"Okay I think that's enough" said Aether as he patted Bro and Soler Dee on the back which nearly knocked them over. With a soothing rub to their backs, Sharbon laughed " Ha haha, ya finally opening up I see".

" I guess your personality is rubbing off on me" responded Aether as he felt more lighthearted when around the other four demons. " Yeah, Sharbon had a h-habit of rubbing off on p-people" spoke Fofa with less of a stutter in his voice which showed he actually had grown more confident or comfortable around the winged demon." It feels like I have known you guys since forever or at least grade school" said Sharbon as it truly felt like it had been years since he first met Soler Dee and Aether.

" W-We live to survive and survive to live, let's always b-be friends" proclaimed Fofa as he he put his hand in the middle of the circle that had reformed after Sharbon spoke. Three other hands and a wing joined Fofa's laying on top of each before exploding apart with ' Aye!'.

It was also by that very reason that everything just might work in their favor because it was the only thing they had left beside each other. Plus,Bro had a very good feeling about it something he hadn't felt so strongly about and that feeling was hope. It was probably the best combination with what they were going to do and how they were going to do it. It was all up the fate to decide and destiny to follow through with it. But a small voice in the back of his head still had some doubt despite how foolproof the plan seemed it still had its hidden flaws and there was always one loophole that could ruin any plan; either for the better or for the worst.

And the more he started to wonder about the odds and chances of failure he started to rethink his role in their plan. If he could see or foresee anything hidden then how can he see something that hung right neither his nose? because it was neither hidden nor in plain view. It was when he felt a hand on his back that Bro was snapped out of his train of thought, turning around and expecting to see either Sharbon and Fofa to reassure him that everything would be alright. He got the surprise of his life as Aether and Soler Dee stood before him.

Bro had always thought that Aether and Soler Dee had a stronger bond that he and the former because Soler Dee saved his life and they together when they first encountered each other. He thought that Aether cared slightly more about Soler Dee when he jumped in front of him when WolfWrath attacked even though he was also saving Fofa in the process. But at the moment that didn't seem to matter anymore because Soler Dee had his parasol in his hands, looking ready for battle, with a determined look in his eyes. His stance was upright and tense which was a stark contrast to his outward appearance and Aether because he seemed the most relaxed out of them all or was it relieved?

" Don't worry I don't do well with favoritism so you are as much an equal to me as Sharbon, Fofa, and Soler Dee. That is what family is, right? " spoke Aether and Bro knew he was right, so why does he need to worry? It was probably the most comforting words he would ever hear from him and it would stick with him for as long as he lived.

" Now that I think about it you deserve a nickname and probably a new name all together while we are at it because Aether doesn't seem to fit you anymore. Your a lot more bright than you used to be" spoke the ghost as such a random thought occurred to him.

" Like the sun or the stars" piped Bro as he was excited to voice his suggestion before anyone else.

" Yeah, something like that. Something bright and colorful but not too complicated " reasoned Sharbon as he rubbed his chin in thought.

" W-well, how about a-adding something that g-goes with his p-personality too?" Fofa inquired as all of their names had something to do with their attributes.

" Let's see,… " trailed Sharbon as he thought even deeper, looking Aether up and down. " Well there is a list of things like him being blue, dark, slightly mysterious looking but cute…" A frown appearing on his face as he thought more and more.

" Don't f-forget that he also n-nimble because h-he did manage to b-block an attack from W-WolfWrath, he c-can heal really f-fast, and his d-durable beyond b-belief" said Fofa as he added more to the growing list.

" Well geez, there is so much stuff about ya that I can't put it all into two or one word" spoke Sharbon.

Aether had a lot of character since he had two sides to his personality, the first had a more lasting impression than the second. The former being mysterious, quiet, sick in terms of health, and very distant. It was like he did it all on purpose when he thought back to it. Because really, how could Aether not at least know their names without knowing much else about them?

The cell was too small to keep secrets without someone hearing them, and he did have the tendency to mumble or ramble a lot in his fever-induced sleep. Actually it was sleeping in general that Aether seemed to be the most unaffected by anything. It was like his own way of forgetting about or dealing with stress. The more he slept the more lively he seemed when he woke up, it was probably by that reason he seemed more alive than anything as he did sleep for long periods of time.

" Can I make a suggestion" said Aether, bringing Sharbon out of his musing.

" Okay" spoke Sharbon, gesturing for Aether to continue. " Shoot"

" I don't think I should change my name" said Aether which shocked the group.

" But you would still be tied to Nightmare if you don't" explained Sharbon as held onto Aether's shoulders, pointing to the collar around his neck to emphasize his point.

" I know, I just,…" Aether stopped talking all together as he knew the reaction he got was not going to be a positive one which made him feel like becoming part of the ground.

" I just don't think I need a new name right now because I want to be able to introduce myself again as a stronger person after this is all over" said Aether, looking nervously at his feet.

Sharbon and the others didn't say anything right away as they let the words float in their minds.

" Okay" said Sharbon, stepping away from Aether." We understand, but we can't leave it like that".

" Y-Yeah," agreed Fofa." Even t-though you d-don't think y-you deserve a n-new name now w-we still think y-you should have one".

" You changed so much, it's like your a different person without losing what makes you, you" said Sharbon as he smiled.

Aether didn't know what to say to that as it shocked him speechless.

" So we will call you as a friend who is humble, nice, and fully of life" spoke Bro, speaking the most he ever had in a long while." Meta Knight"

" A Knight beyond all Knights" said Sharbon as he liked the meaning behind it as it described Aether better than his actually name. " That's cool title too"

Soler Dee simply nodded in while Fofa spoke, " I like it and somehow it seems to fit him a lot better than what we were coming up with" finishing with a snicker

" Hey!" protested Sharbon. " Mikey is a great name".

" So was Spade, Ace, Blue, Cyan,…" trailed Fofa as he listed off the names. Some of them were as ridiculous as Finny short for infinity. Lots more were based off of cards games and the cards themselves like: Sig for Signal, Fisher for Go Fish, or Deuce.

" Oh, gimme a break" said Sharbon as he threw up his hands while there others joined Fofa in his laughter at how flustered the ghost was getting. But he couldn't deny how awesome the name truly was as it wasn't far from the real truth as the name was sought out on the right track but at the wrong place in the alphabet.

In fact, it sounded like a powerful warrior from ancient times which were well respected back in the day. The ghost demon believed it fitted Aether perfectly and made he sound like all those heroic people who went by many names like Alexander the Great.

" I… I like it " spoke Aether as he felt a small once of weight left off his shoulders, any tiny bit of relief was greatly welcomed considering his current situation.

" Glad you do and it's probably not going to be the only name people will know you by because your a great person when your not hiding out in the shadows" said Sharbon.

" I-I agreed, you are a great person, I don't understand why they w-would put you down here b-but I am glad they did " added Fofa as he never would have met Aether if it wasn't for Heavy Knight throwing him and Soler Dee in their cell.

" I never really shared much but I'm glad I shared what I have just in case nothing goes as planned" spoke the winged demon which contrasted greatly with his once soft-spoken tone. It made Bro smile knowing that the once distant demon wasn't so distant anymore and couldn't help himself when he pounced on in to give the winged demon the best hug he could manage with joyous laughter.

" Geez, now you've gone and jinxed the whole thing but with that all aside I say we celebrate" spoke Sharbon as he began to blow bubbles that filled the cell with a multitude of colors while Soler Dee, his parasol out and up in the air, and Fofa hooked arms and began to dance in circles.

Bro didn't have many complaints as he got to his feet along with Aether whom smiled with the biggest grin he had ever seen. He looked so happy he thought he was dreaming because it seemed like just yesterday he was withdrawn, lonely, and unsociable but now he was a completely different demon whom changed for the better. Bro himself was smiling too as he joined Soler Dee and Fofa in their hoedown. Despite how dark it was it seemed as if they were in a luminous carnival.

A carnival filled with high spirits, unaware of other events happening just outside the front entrance.


A/N: So basically I looked at Meat Knight's name separately as the 'Knight' in Meta Knight is more of the characteristics or personality and that there were a lot of stories or just few that used Meta as Beyond but it actually describes the word placed after. For example: Meta Knight basically means a Knight about Knight or ,on another level, the Knight of all Knights which connects to a Knight beyond Knights. Which is why a lot of people believe he is the best knight in the Kirby series and why he defeated Galacta Knight in Ultra because he was the best of the best. But in this chapter it mainly means Freedom. However, Meta Knight doesn't think he deserves his name until he gets stronger so he will stick with Aether for now.

P to the S: The cards will become important in the future and don't ask where they keep them because its like asking Link where does he keep his giant ball and chain or the multitude of empty bottles. I just simply don't know. Have a wonderful and lovely day. XD