A/N: So this is the chapter where it starts where the last left off. And since this is a fanfic and the only time I will do this, I have tweaked Nightmare's personality, behavior, and way of thinking simply because the plot calls for it. Also, this is where the video game plots kind of comes into action because it will give Meta Knight no reason to really hate Nightmare but not to ignore the wrong he has done.

Plus, the more I think about it, Nightmare doesn't treat his demon beasts like crap unless it is absolutely necessary. The two reasons why the pawns are treated so badly is mainly because of other demons and not Nightmare himself the other reason is because if you can't handle the heat what good are you in heated situations such as fighting for your freedom and believing in what you may think is right. Also, it is because he wants to gauge the fullest potential of his demon beasts when they are at the emotional high and low because it is either the power of love or hate that motivates someone or something to trust in their own power or seek out another to make them even stronger.

So technically that was three reasons and it is more likely because of the last two reasons that many demons above the pawn ranking see Nightmare as their leader as he is more considerate of his actions and how they will affect the things around him. Compared from what I have seen of Kirby and star warriors in general, they seem to attack what they think is evil without asking what made them evil in the first place.

With that question in mind I don't think Nightmare is at fault for how he is viewed because everything is judged by what they appear to be. In all honesty, I don't think Nightmare is a good or bad guy because he technically doesn't even exist because he is a nightmare and yet he does so I will just have to deal with him the way I truly think he truly is. XD

FYI: I had to make it a little nicer because Meta Knight is still a kid and that they know from their own experience of what it feels like to be born and labeled weak. Their and they, meaning the demon beasts and more specific the five Black Konoshogin- I use caps because it is a title and are the elite demons of Nightmares forces ( there are also more than just one group). Also, I go into single-liners when there is a conversation going on or just " blah blah blah" back and forth without giving any indication of who is talking.

At this point I don't need to explain my writing any farther until the end. So enjoy what is read or hate it for all I care and I say these things with a smile. XD

Black Knightmare

The Dawn of a New Past

The gesture was the last thing the winged demon thought the prince would do. It was like it actually considered him an equal and he wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to feel at the moment. Everything he had learned from Sharbon in the last couple of minutes set his mind back a few steps and couldn't understand why the prince of all demons was addressing him so formally unlike the hit-upon-sight response he got from most other demons. He knew what the ghost had said must be true because he actually had memories or fragments of memories that he had stored deep within his mind long ago. When the shock of such a reveal wore off with those moments of fighting and throwing insults at one another , the winged demon knew that he shouldn't have been so surprised as it suddenly made sense to him.

Though he was a pawn he was treated like a wild animal, had his angelic air taken from him, siphoned of all his power, and yet Nightmare still held him with great interest. It wasn't hard to tell as he literally felt the dark emperor eyeball him like a hawk because all demons had Nightmare's attention, they just come in different levels of intensity. In his case, it was like Nightmare was watching every move he made to see what he could do if his emotions got the better of him.

Probably the number one problem with him was because of his emotions because not many of them were like the other demon beasts'. The greatest of them all would have been happiness as he still had his child-like innocence. Even when he was tortured he didn't feel the need to get anger, sad, or depressed. That was, until his friend died. After seeing death straight in front of him the winged demon had changed. He begun to experience those emotions known as sadness and hate at intense levels. The first time he had ever felt so anger enough to kill was in the Harena and even then he wasn't himself as his body was acting upon what he felt not what he thought.

If he was thinking reasonable then maybe he would have seen the warning signs like Sharbon being apart of a rebellion because he seemed like he knew way more than he let on and of course Fofa, Soler Dee, and Bro were the missing soldiers. The biggest on of them all would have been his own memories, he became aware that that the little piece of information had more attached to it. But like a arrow shot through a dense fog he did not know were it would have led to or if he would hit another target. The fragment of memory he was able to recover also told him there was more to his existence. He was supposed to be a guardian, the guardian of the great crystal but he had lost it before he was moved. And the more he tried to think about the fragment his deceased friend gave him he understood that he had to find and protect it like any guardian would do. The fact that he was a guardian was a great shock to him like any other person who would find themselves in his place.

But as great as the shock was the winged demon knew that it was only one piece of the puzzle and that he was sure there would be even bigger reveals in his life. When he had returned the gesture, no knowing why he did so but assumed it was trained mannerisms, it felt like he could finally breathe again. He actually felt lighter than a feather, whatever Sharbon managed to do for him before he left made him feel... free.

" Since there is no longer a contract binding you to Nightmare you have the choice of leaving now or risk leaving your duties here" spoke the prince, whose tone no longer rang so deep, as it stood erect once more. So that's what he did, he should thank his friends if he ever saw him again. But if the prince thought for one second that he was going for the latter he would be sadly mistaken as the winged demon would rather be free than be tied to another contract if the first one brought about a lot of pain and suffering. But he had no other choice either, which left him uncertain of which he should choose.

" I don't know" replied Aether as he was reminded of just how old he really was and big decisions always made him nervous if he had to make them by himself. " Then I suggest you stay, it will benefit both parties and you can still leave whenever you like" said the prince as it was trying to give him a safe option to choose from. The option actually managed to appeal, albeit the tiniest amount imaginable, to him as he could come and go if he had to but he was going to leave sooner or later. " On a more logical standpoint, if you leave you will be our enemy and there will be no transportation provided nor will there be another landmass for many light years. By the time you reach a suitable planet you would already be long dead" reasoned the prince as the explanation added a very heavy weight upon Aether's shoulders if he decided to leave then and there.

"..."

"..."

"... fine"

He didn't like how the situation turned against him and that his purpose was turned into another contract he was bound by. Not that he minded, he just wanted to feel what it felt like to be free and not bounded by any responsibility what he didn't want. Hopefully he won't be staying long and that Nightmare would let him go once he got whatever he wanted out of him. Still, it felt creepy how much the prince spoke like Nightmare and how much it felt like Nightmare was talking to him through the prince. The feeling only increased when he had finally noticed how quiet it was in the cage. He couldn't even hear the demon beasts above as he gazed directly at them making a storm of commotion. It was like they were in a silent bubble of sorts.

" This demonstration is over"

The sudden speech from the dark emperor made the winged demon jump and with a wave of his hand, Nightmare dispelled whatever invisible barrier there was in between them and the rioting demons above. The roar of noise slammed into the winged demon's skull as his whole body vibrated like he stood in front of a speaker playing bass. Whatever the demon beasts above him saw would remain a mystery but it was safe to assume that it was pleasing as they were shouting like they had won the millionaire lottery.

" You are dismissed"

With that the Harena was cleaned out instantly with only the five demons plus leader and prince left behind. " I hope you find it in your heart to forgive all the pain you have been through, we are all apart of the same universe and that some of us were pawns at one point" spoke the prince,with a lighter tone, the absence of the other demons must have allowed its indifferent attitude to soften and be replaced with something a lot warmer. Its words were not fully understood by the winged demon as he was only aware of the weak and the strong, not how the strong became strong or how managed to gain such power. " You will also be relocated to the upper levels and there will be someone who needs to see you" continued the prince as its hand patted his head, like they were already friends which made the winged demon uncomfortable, before turning and walking away.

The movement of shiny metal against the bright lights of the Harena nearly blinded Aether as two of the five group of demons nudged him forward to follow after the prince. The other three walked on either side of him, Heavy Knight being to his right and a giant metal lobster and levitating mummby to his left. The wolf behind him gave Aether the chills as he was responsible for frying his wings but he was willing to let it go if his wings were able to grow back to their former, former glory.

" I almost forgot,..." spoke the prince as it gazed briefly over its shoulder to Aether, a pause in its next step.

" You can call Mov for short"

It then became apparent to the winged demon that the prince was a male.

When they had emerged from the cage and the Harena a more blinding light than the prince's armor came to greet Aether's eyes as he never traveled outside the tunnels.

The mysterious thing they called an 'elevator' was a totally different experience compared using his feet and or wings to move from one place to another. All he had to do was do absolutely nothing and the buttons.

Oh,... THE BUTTONS!

He wanted to push them all and see them light up like his face, he was half tempted make a flower out of them because there were so many. It was a good thing he only had the prince as company or else he would have been shut up and stuffed.

Nightmare had vanished since the Harena to do whatever he had planned and the other five superior demons went off in their separate ways. That gave him the time fully asses the prince without feeling like he was going to get zapped, sliced, burned, or crushed.

" So, uh,... where exactly are we going?" Aether asked out of curiosity as the number dial on the wall hit the 50th floor and kept on going.

" To the highest level of the Fortress, level 127" answered the prince as his whole demeanor was relaxed and not as restricted when Nightmare was around.

Aether's mouth made a small 'o' shape before he asked his next question, " What does Nightmare want with me anyway? I don't have any significant powers or the power he thinks I have".

The prince just chuckled like his question was stupid, which it probably was.

" Trust me, you have more power than you realize. It's practically growing off you"

" How can you tell?"

" I have my ways"

" Which would be?..."

" Neither"

" You are making no sense"

" It makes great nonsense"

The back and forth chit-chat stopped when Aether realized that the prince just made a joke.

The fact that someone who was on the same level as Nightmare could make a joke was slightly funny.

But he didn't like how amused the lavender demon looked when he was tripped up by the words at first and looked quite confused.

" So funny I forgot to laugh"

" Looks like you didn't forget to smile"

It was probably the first time in a long time that Aether actually felt embarrassed, which was the complete opposite of feeling humiliated.

His face turned beet red when he covered his mouth and sure enough it was curled upward in a small smile.

" I don't know what your talking about, I never smile"

" Are you sure? It seems to me like you were"

" No I wasn't"

" You look cute when your angry"

Aether's blush intensified at those words as he quickly looked away from the prince with an irritated look painted across his face.

" I'm a boy you know"

" That was never clarified"

" I know I am"

" Oh really?"

" I'm blue"

" Boys wear pink"

" My voice is deeper than a girl's"

" Puberty is a mysterious thing"

" What's that?"

" A stage you will go through when you get older"

" I thought demons never got old"

" Converted ones do and any normal being who forms a contract with Nightmare"

At that point the elevator passed the 100th level and the chit-chat started to turn more into an argument. But the statement got Aether thinking about something other than the debate of his gender. He never put much thought into how many different types of demons there were and how many they became what they were. He was even more curious as to what type the prince was and took his best guess.

" Were you a-"

" No"

Well, that was the quickest answer Aether ever got from the prince because he didn't even have time to finish his question.

" I was converted"

" Yes, I know, that is why I called you guardian or shall I call you by the name your friends gave you?"

They were 12 levels away from their destination and judging from the way the prince acted around other compared to himself, he knew that it was going to be back to the robot talk or utter silence.

" Meta Knight sounds too old. So I guess I will stick to Aether for now"

There was a momentary pause of motion before the prince spoke up again.

" Az"

" What?"

" Your name. You are blue, your spirit is blue, your flames are blue, and you are the blue to my red"

" Red?"

" Red. as in everything about me is red and everything about you is blue"

" Oh, but why Az?"

" It is short for Azure which means blue or deep blue"

"..."

There was a small DING! as the elevator stopped on the 127th level or floor yet the doors had yet to open. The prince grew tense again as the emotions were drained from his face and the air about him stilled. But for a brief moment Aether, or rather the newly pronounced Az, could see a ghost of a smile on the prince's lips.

" It also compliments every aspect of your cute personality"

The elevator doors slipped open and any demon who passed by them could see the winged demon hiding face in the cape's shadow of the one he followed.

" It was all fun and games until someone got hurt" whispered the prince as the demons either bowed before him or got out of his way.

" Shut up"

The trek down into the city felt like eternity to the winged demon as he finally had the courage to look around the prince and survey his surroundings. Nothing was like the UnderWorld as everything seems much cleaner and more free. He almost forgot they were in the metal fortress as bright blue and white stretched across the tall metal blocks and twisted metal in the distance. In his case they were headed straight for the latter as lights and their colorful flares washed over them like they were in a carnival.

He had no idea a place could even exist and how much it contrasted with the world he knew that was probably thousands of miles below his feet at the moment.

" What is this place?" he asked as he fully detached himself from the protection of the prince's cape.

There were also a lot of demons in all different shapes, colors, and sizes that went to and fro like traffic.

None of which didn't paid as much attention to them compared to the corridor stroll.

" This is level 127 or better known as HavenFall, the place up ahead is called a park" replied the prince as he pushed passed two giant demon beasts who were lugging around equally as large weapons.

Something in him told Aether that they were like the guards down below, only they were much more intimidating. It was when they were denied direct access to the park did the prince veer off in another direction muttering something along the lines of ' maybe next time'.

After another course of ten to fifteen minutes Aether, Az- saw something else he never saw or didn't remember. It was really big, really blue, and very wavy. It went all the way from the sand to the horizon in the distance meeting with another thing he didn't know. Whatever it was bathed to whole area in different shades of pink, red, orange, and purple.

" This is called an ocean and way out there is called a sunset made by the sun. They are all gifts from Nightmare himself" spoke the prince as he sat down on the sand, prompting the winged demon to sit next to him.

" Nightmare made all of this?"

" Yes, even though his appearance suggests otherwise he is a benevolent deity at most times. He doesn't treat us like the trash you have come to believe but you have to earn it"

" How?"

" Do whatever he asks you to without fail"

" Even killing?"

" If it is absolutely necessary"

That didn't sound right to him and it didn't settle well either as killing another living being was like forcing a child to do math or sit still for a complete hour- they just wouldn't do it and neither will he.

" Why? What if they didn't deserve it?"

" What if they did? Or what if they were trying to kill you?"

"..."

"..."

"... Sorry"

The prince regarded him for a long while before turning his attention back to the sunset that was nearly over.

" Apology accepted, Az"

And just like that, he found himself becoming annoyed.

" Don't call me that!"

" Would you prefer cutie or Aether?"

...

...

...

...

...

...

" Shut up"

A/N: When I mean 'him' or 'he' without giving who is talking I am referring to Aether and when Mov starts talking to Aether or is talking about Aether he will use either guardian or Az in the next chapter. I also didn't want to lose the humor that came with Mov or make the story too dull. Plus, I think it is a great way to start off their relationship, Mov poking fun at Aether, who is now nicknamed Az, and just annoying him for the fun of it. And their relationship is STRICTLY FRIENDSHIP-based and not whatever you thought it was. Honesty, I was curious myself if there was actually a difference between female and male in Kirby's species. So far I decided to keep him a he because I'm not going to stray too far from the truth.

P to The S: Excuse the errors and have a spectacular great day. XD