A/N: Hmm, I think I should explain myself. A two month delay with this and a month delay for Winning. On top of exams and lack of story ideas, it leads me into the real reason: I'm losing enthusiasm in both stories. I won't go into the drastic measure of abandoning them, however updates will be even slower than usual. And probably not in the best quality either, probably. I'm really sorry about this T_T
Anyway, back to the chapter. It was requested by pride1289 and also Medalis, so I hope you all like it. As you can see, this is the one that focuses around Kine. Also the one with the makeshift submarine ;p Hope that's enough to refresh your memory and if not, flick through the episode. It's in three parts, which are all rather self-explanatory. The second one doesn't really serve much, but links the first and last better than if it wasn't there.
So then, hope you enjoy this long-awaited edition :)
metasaur – No problem so long as you can wait a while. Three more in between!
/\/\/\/\ Episode 16 – The Fish Who Loved Me /\/\/\/\
Meta Knight laughed for the first time in ages. It was as though the sudden recollection of the emotion was painful, for his throat seemed to swell soon afterwards. His head spun minutely, but it was enough for him to raise a hand to his temple. The laughter had ceased within seconds.
His colleague Blade's body language expressed nothing but sympathy. Nevertheless, the eyes underneath his helmet were stern, and stared at his boss' in a similar fashion to a psychoanalyst.
"She's even earned a fish's attention," the puffball mused. His thumb wandered over the mask's edge, as though it was searching for something wrong with the object. He wasn't really focusing on that though. Instead, he brought himself to look out onto the road rather than the sky.
True to his word, the said fish was in a tank with wheels. The container was filled with water to allow him to move, however the glass was only a little bigger than the fish and heavily restricted his movement. Kine was his name, or so Meta had heard anyway. He personally hadn't met the sunfish, but there was something there that he disliked.
He narrowed his eyes as they drew attention to Fumu instead. She appeared happy at the very least, her bright eyes scoping the landscape for something to show and tell. He seriously hoped it was the trick of the light. Bun and Kirby were also with her, snickering occasionally in the former's case.
As though he was also curious about the ordeal, Blade followed his superior's gaze. He arched an eyebrow, but it went amiss. "Are you jealous of him, by any chance?" He waved a hand lightly as Meta Knight raised his chin defiantly. "Only thinking out loud, sir."
A sigh escaped the puffball. "You were thinking extremely loud. What draws you to that conclusion?" His tone was no longer comical, but rather demanding and cold. If that wasn't enough to prove his sudden change of attitude, he had brought his cape around his spherical body. That was something that was generally seen as not a good sign.
Blade kicked the branch they were on idly, as though the question was its fault somehow. His eyes darted uncomfortably, resting on his superior occasionally to check if he was waiting. "Well…you do seem to worry about her a lot," he finally said. "You spend more time keeping an eye on her than anyone else."
Disappointment was evident in the puffball's reply. "Is that so?" His yellow eyes blinked slowly, and glistened so faintly it was as though he was looking straight past his knave. That was unsurprising – it was a familiar look for Sword whenever he asked stupid questions.
Fortunately, the knight had gone to Dedede to cover for them. Now without his company, Blade found it harder to deal with his boss' demands and criticisms. The knowledge of Sword gone was effective, in the way that his performance was worse. At least he could consult someone without feeling small.
To fill in the silence that ensued, he blurted out, "What is it then?"
The creases in Meta Knight's cape became bolder as he gripped it tighter still. Blade was beginning to suspect he was slightly irritated. He had asked a question that didn't even make sense alone, and it targeted the puffball in a manner which wasn't desired. A lecture was about to follow – he knew it.
"Does it hurt to think beyond that?" The Star Warrior finally turned to his subordinate fully, head tilting to one side in boredom. "Fumu's the daughter of the Cabinet Minister. As servants to the King, it is also our duty to protect the castle's residents."
Including the few thousand Waddle Dees, Blade countered in his head. He didn't bother saying it to the puffball's face though – that was uncalled for.
Meta Knight failed to notice the knave's silent battle. "In addition to that, Fumu's the closest person to Kirby." His eyes drifted to the girl, who was now among the vast number of curious townspeople. "If anything so much as touches her, Kirby would be distressed."
A sudden clamour made Blade shifted his gaze to the scene below. The tank containing Kine was barely in sight, for a sea of yellow impeded it from view. Kirby was nowhere to be seen, however Fumu's head showed a vague indication.
"On the other hand, there's Nightmare," the blue puffball stated. "Sooner or later, he'll use her to get to Kirby."
Blade turned his head a small amount. "You worry a lot more than you need to. You don't share these things, and you expect us to know what's going through your mind every day." He gave a wry smile. "Your trust in us is only a fraction of what we offer you. The doubt will practically eat you alive."
A grim look formed under the puffball's mask. "Doubt? I don't think that's the word you're looking for."
"No, it's exactly what I mean," Blade replied immediately, his eyebrows furrowing seriously. "You're saying Kirby won't be able to protect her when that time comes. But surely our purpose is to train him for that day?"
He stopped ranting when Meta Knight turned his back to him. "When he strikes, that's it. There's no such thing as second chances. Kirby's capability depends on how soon it is, and the date not entirely fixed. Don't assume Nightmare will give us an extension."
Judging by the stance, the Star Warrior was in no mood for discussion. He had made it pretty clear in his closing statement.
Blade honoured his superior's wish and said nothing else. Instead, he let his thoughts take over. What would happen if Nightmare struck now? Surely all wasn't lost, for if Kirby failed in some way, Meta Knight could step in. Perhaps even he or Sword could assist, but the girl was without a doubt safe, even if there was only a fish left to protect her.
"Does something seem off to you?"
That was the second question today that stumped the knave. "Fish shouldn't go out with people?" he tried, not bothering to hide his uncertainty.
The Star Warrior blinked. "That too. But I've been thinking for a while – where did that tank come from?"
"Perhaps it was just in the castle somewhere," Blade reasoned. Something as nitpicky as that was expected to catch Meta Knight's attention, although it was often of little importance to the problem at hand. "I'm sure Bun used whatever means necessary to find it."
To his surprise, the puffball shook his head. "It looks similar to the one which held Octocon. If not, the same." His head buried itself further into the fabric. "What are the chances of Bun striking a deal with Dedede?"
Blade gave a light snicker. "Very small, sir. Bun's much too mischievous to try anything as fair as that." He rubbed his right wrist pensively. "Sword's back at the castle. I'm sure he'll be able to provide us with some sort of evidence. Who knows, maybe even the whole thing."
"That's true," the Star Warrior confirmed, letting go of his cape ends. The material fell to his sides, the hem only millimetres above the very branch he was standing on. "Let's go." He waited for his subordinate to jump off first before casting a fleeting look at Fumu again. He couldn't hear at this distance, but it was clear she was lecturing her brother about something or another.
Meta Knight pushed his weight onto one foot, before leaping off the tree himself. He was mildly surprised to be face to face with Blade so soon. And much too close for comfort. The soldier was tapping an armoured foot rhythmically, and it was extremely uncharacteristic for him to do so.
"Therefore, with regards to everything you just said earlier, you don't feel even slightly envious of Kine?" He waited for the answer patiently, rocking on the balls of his feet minutely.
The puffball's expression remained as blank as ever. "No."
Sword folded his arms, smirking somewhat under his mask. "So, what do you think? Is it the time to act?"
The green clad knight puffed out his chest a little, and Blade noticed this immediately. He quirked an eyebrow in response, but ultimately didn't say anything about the action or the questions. Instead, he looked at the puffball in curiosity.
"The Rainbow Coral Forest?" the Star Warrior inquired, not taking his eyes off his knave. As the name implied, the forest was underwater and was meant to be exceptionally beautiful. However, Dedede didn't want to go there for the scenery – that much was obvious already. Knowing him, he wanted to have it demolished more than anything.
Sword shifted onto his other foot lazily. "Yeah. Escargon's building a submarine of some sort, so resources for us will be very limited." He gave a hasty look to his colleague before continuing. "It may not be anything luxurious, but I'm sure Blade and I could construct a quick submarine just in case."
Before Meta Knight even nodded, the shorter sidekick was already by Sword. "Sir, we won't be able to go with you. It won't be anything grand, but we can confirm to you that it will be here waiting for you."
To put no finer point on it, it was impressive how his subordinates had such little time, but were still able to construct a wooden submarine to move. Clearly, any sort of metal was limited. Three propellers were placed in the most important spots, and it was surprising that no water leaked into the container.
Nevertheless, the means of transport was not invincible. It was unfortunate the fact that it was in the path of the torpedo, and the wooden barrel had exploded in a shower of splinters and nails.
Meta Knight was now floating backwards with his now-damp cape round his body, away from the wreckage. It was essential to get as far from the mess as soon as possible, and that meant Fumu and Bun as well. He searched round the smoke to search for them, looking for any sign of yellow amongst the multi-coloured coral.
It didn't take him long to find Fumu. As he already knew, she was flailing her arms as an attempt to find air. With him and Kirby being puffballs, the desire for oxygen wasn't as great as a risk for the children. The salt in the water was just distasteful, that was all.
He was about to swim down and help her, however a movement to his right caught his sight. Bun was in trouble as well, although he was handling the situation a lot worse than his sister. Somehow, he had managed to get attention from a number of other fish.
It was then he saw Kine in the midst of the school, heading straight past him towards Fumu. That was only natural – he loved her after all. Whether it was a joke or genuine, he still couldn't decide up until now. For the sunfish had exhaled an odd bubble round the girl, and it was clear from her relaxation and smile that the salt and water had no effect. It was apparent now Kine thought the world of the Cabinet Minister's daughter.
Psychologically speaking, the phenomenon was only temporary. Kine was an animal that respired like mammals, hence most of the components within the bubble was carbon dioxide rather than oxygen like plants. Hand in hand with the limited space, it was inevitable that the water vapour within would run out.
He saw the fish swim alongside Bun and offer him the same treatment.
Blinking in response to the salt, he decided enough was enough. His cape was getting unbelievably heavy, and he couldn't risk his mask being in the water for too long. Things below the surface were under control, and he was in no hurry to be seen by anyone. Now that Kirby was down there, the forest was sure to be saved.
He turned round and held his head high. The sunlight streamed from the surface, and he guessed it was several metres above. Whether the bubbles would last that long, he had no idea. With the gases within being extremely light, it would ensure the sphere would rise to the surface quickly. As long as that factor was there, perhaps all was not lost.
With a small splash, his head poked out the waters and he scoured his surroundings. The village was a long way off, however a couple of boulders caught his gaze. It was more like a very disfigured rock, but it would do.
Within a second, he decided to wait there for the children. It would give him time to dry off a little, and to provide any help if it was necessary.
Kine…Without him, the ordeal would never have occurred. On the other hand though, Fumu and her brother would have drowned if it wasn't for the fish. The extra weight would have taken him much longer to reach the rock, and who knows what could have happened.
He needed to extend his gratitude once all this was finished.
/\/\/\/\ End /\/\/\/\
A/N: Whether Meta was being honest or hiding his liking to Fumu, that all goes for imagination :) I've purposefully left it rather open for interpretation, so feel free to jump to conclusions!
As for the Meta-not-needing-air thing, I got that from Kirby. After all, how can Kirby be perfectly fine to inhale water for ages and not be affected in any way? Plus the fact he says 'poyo' without gasping or anything like Bun does. Is that reasoning enough?
So then, I think that's everything. Please tell me if you have any questions in a review, or even just to say what you think :) Actually, I just want to know in general ;p Criticism is welcome, you know. Hope reading it wasn't a waste of your time!
Next chapter will be episode 17, unsurprisingly. What was it again? –consults notebook- Ah yes, the Ring Story of Parm and Memu, as requested by Medalis and IEatFood.
