A/N: The long awaited chapter fourteen of Beyond the Mirror has arrived. I apologize for being such a slacker but it's not like I forgot about this story or anything. I had all of my ideas laid out but wasn't happy with how it was presented. This chapter took a lot longer than expected. I apologize for the wait.
I also wanted to present a good quality of a chapter rather than rushing it and totally disappointing everyone. I believe in overall quality even if it means frustrating people for delaying the update for so long.
Kirby now realizes the importance of keeping his father's younger self alive after seeing what it was like to have Galacta Knight as a father as well as the leader of the GSA. And like what White Meta Knight said, Meta was not supposed to have been in the future because if he somehow died before being returned to his own time, the past will change completely. If Kirby was to be pulled back to where Galacta Knight is the GSA leader, the White Angel will finish him off for good this time.
Meta Knight is back to normal and right now, both he and Kirby are directly under a large compactor, ready to come down on them. I finally found a better word than 'weight'. It actually sounds better and it better describes what in the world I was talking about! XD
We are also drawing to a close in this story. Won't be long to the last chapter! Ugh...I still am not happy with this chapter...
Disclaimer: Cosmicgiraffe does not own any of the characters besides her OCs. If she did, she would be laughing madly like Meta Knight was a few chapters ago. :D
--Chapter 14: Message on a Feather--
Kirby's sky blue eyes widened as he watched his father's hand shot up to stop the compactor just as it came down. Its rusty bottom scratched his face but slowly, it began to lift back up to Meta Knight's unnatural strength granted to him by Nightmare. The Black Angel's eyes were pure white now as he held up the compactor with one hand and the other pushing the heavy mechanical parts off both himself and his son. His arm shook from the pressure and the wounds on his body reopened, allowing fresh blood to stream down his arms and wings.
"Kirby…get…out!" He grunted as he raised the compactor all the way over his head to allow room for Kirby to escape.
He got up and quickly stepped out from underneath it, followed by Meta Knight a few moments later after he wedged a sturdy, iron bar into the conveyor belt's large gears. It gave a horrible screech before both the compactor and conveyor line came to a halt.
Meta Knight staggered out towards Kirby before collapsing to his hands, breathing heavily.
"Dad!"
Kirby rushed to his side and looked at his father before he gave a small gasp. His father's eyes were restored to their usual gold, but they were still clouded. They appeared, however, to gradually clear up. He still seemed dazed.
"Kirby…I…I can't see anything…Kirby!"
Kirby placed his hand on his father's glove to let him know where he was. Meta Knight's panicked expression calmed down slightly.
"I…I couldn't tell what was real or fake anymore…I…thought that…I murdered both you and your mother…I don't ever want to lose either of you ever again…I—"
"Dad, it's okay," Kirby interrupted. "I'm still here and so is Mom. Just…just relax and lay on your back. You're bleeding."
"We are all covered in blood and wounds," Meta Knight said grimly. "I can do just fine. Help me stand."
It was true, Kirby had to admit. Not one member of the group was not scarred, wounded in some way, cut, or covered in dried blood. Once they returned to Dreamland, they would probably be unrecognizable. Still, he was not going to let his father injure himself any further.
"Dad, no. You need to lie down."
Finally after much protesting, Meta Knight relented and leaned back against a large gas tank to recover. Like what Kirby predicted, his eyes slowly became less and less cloudy, but he still appeared unable to see anything. He sat down next to his father and looked him over. Meta Knight's wings limply sagged down at his sides, heavily bleeding in several places where the thin membrane had torn.
Kirby took off his cape and carefully pressed it up against the wounds, causing Meta Knight to flinch in pain.
"I'm fine, Kirby. Please…"
"But Dad, your wings…"
"Leave it," Meta Knight said stubbornly. "Don't waste the little time you and the others have left on me."
The thought about the hourglass made Kirby stop. So much time had been used up to get his father back to normal and to fight Dark Nebula. Time was not on their side as of now.
"Do…do you know how much sand is left in the hourglass?" Meta Knight asked.
"Still quite a bit," Kirby lied, not wanting his father to panic.
Meta Knight let out his breath and relaxed slightly. They said nothing for a while, waiting for the Black Angel's eyes to recover when he spoke again.
"Kirby, I want you to understand, I cannot leave the Mirror World. I've said this before, correct?"
Kirby looked at him in surprise. His father had read exactly what had been on his mind and he slowly nodded, although he remembered his father couldn't see him.
"Yes."
"I have to stay here in the Mirror World because the moment I leave, the land I created for my people with my mind would cease to exist and even I do not know what would happen to all of the demonbeasts. And besides, now that I have taken up position to lead them, I must serve my duties. You do realize that it's just as difficult for me as for you and your mother, right?"
"But we came all the way here to the Mirror World just to convince you to come back!" Kirby burst out. "Think of Sword, Wolfwrath, and Knuckle Joe! They all died just for you to decide to stay here. Couldn't you just bring all of the demonbeasts back? I'm sure we can work out something with the Cappies!"
Meta Knight shook his head.
"Kirby, haven't already told you? My kind isn't welcome in the Dimensional World. No amount of apologies is going to receive the universe's forgiveness for all of the destruction caused by demonbeasts. I understand their anger; I understand that to keep my people safe, I had to leave."
"But what about-"
"Hush, Kirby. You know well enough that this conversation is not getting us anywhere. I've already explained everything."
Kirby's body trembled slightly. He could not believe it. After everything they had gone through, his father still would not come back. Would this be the last time he would ever see him?"
Meta Knight's tone softened considerably as he read Kirby's thoughts.
"It won't be the last time, Kirby. I promise both you and your mother that whenever you two wish, I'll open the gates to the Mirror World. I had originally planned to have all of my demonbeasts settled before I would contact either of you; I suppose though, that once Nova came, Clara did not see any other path to find me again. Had I opened the gates to the Mirror World instead, none of you would have been under the pressure of the hourglass."
"But why is that? Why couldn't Nova just not made it that way?"
Meta Knight sighed a little.
"Nova cannot keep the gate open forever you know. It would have to close eventually. As of now, that isn't important. Let me get up. I can see now."
"Wait. How many cuts do I have on my face?" Kirby questioned as a test.
"Six," Meta Knight said tiredly.
Finally receiving Kirby's approval, he stood up, using the gas tank to support him.
"Unh…I feel like I have a headache…" Meta Knight said as he raised a glove to his head.
A voice laughed coldly above them.
"You'll soon be feeling a lot worse when you have no head to speak of!"
Meta Knight snapped alert and drew Kirby close to him under his wings, glancing around the machine filled area. Kirby could feel his father tense up as the voice came again.
"You look considerably well in respect to that little nap you took…"
Meta Knight did not say anything but the speaker received his desired response. A low hiss escaped from under Meta Knight's mask as his bat wings flared up defensively.
"Time's running out for you Meta-K02. It's time to face what you've been running from for hundreds of years."
Suddenly, a large, shadowy sphere formed in the air before them, materializing to form Dark Meta Knight's figure, appearing at its center with a crackle of energy. He landed neatly on the conveyor belt and looked up to face Meta Knight and Kirby. His snake-like eyes narrowed as they fell across Meta Knight. His cape glided behind him almost in a hypnotizing way, like the swaying of a cobra as he came forth. Kirby could feel his father tighten his arms around him.
"Kirby, if you please, step aside," Dark Meta Knight said smoothly as he drew his sword, pointing its tip directly at Meta Knight. "I have business to deal with."
Kirby reached for Galaxia. There was no way he was going to back out only to let his father get killed. Just as his hand closed around the sacred sword's hilt, he felt Meta Knight lightly push him away.
"Kirby…this…this isn't your battle to fight," He said quietly.
Kirby felt his body freeze up as he watched Meta Knight silently step forward, as if walking towards death itself. He drew his sword and its glint caught the shine of light that streamed down from the shattered ceiling. Kirby could see his own reflection in his father's sword.
"Dad…no…" He cried out hoarsely.
The two knights walked forward and tapped their swords together, accepting the challenge by the other. Then, both closed their eyes, drawing their sword up to their face. Kirby watched as they stood completely still for a long time, and the air around them seemed to become still. Suddenly, ripples of energy tore around them. It appeared that all matter surrounding them was bending to the will of the two knights. Kirby watched with widened eyes as the conveyor belt under him seemed to liquefy and sway like the waves of a raging ocean.
He looked up as both Meta Knight and his darker self opened their eyes and charged forwards. Their swords met, locking into position as they struck out at the other. Their footwork was light and neat as they moved up the conveyor line. Each of Meta Knight's strokes was steady with precision while his counterpart had quick but powerful slashes. Dark Meta Knight feinted to the left and with a sudden twist of his wrist, he thrust his sword forward. His opponent leapt back, blade cutting through the air less than an inch away from his eyes. Meta Knight ducked under the next vicious sword slash and kicked out at his darker side with all of his force. His blow knocked Dark Meta Knight back over and looking up, the Dark One raised his jagged sword to block Meta Knight's furious attacks. Flipping back on to his feet, Dark Meta Knight drove Meta Knight against the rusty walls at the conveyor belts side.
Meta Knight gasped out in pain as Dark Meta Knight suddenly raised his fist and punched him hard. His head slammed back into the wall as he tried to block the next attacks. Dark Meta Knight smirked from under his scarred mask as he drew his hand back and let out a powerful blow. Meta Knight flew back, landing painfully on his wings. Raising his head, he moved to slash out when Dark Meta Knight struck out suddenly with his sword, slicing a deep cut through Meta Knight's sword arm. Blood seeped out as he quickly switched hands, bringing his sword to his left glove. It was not until a moment later did Meta Knight realize his mistake. He had trained to use his left arm only a few times under instruction by Sgt. Kit Cosmos back in the GSA and never had he thought that it would be of great importance to be strong in both arms. Dark Meta Knight had easily gained the advantage of the battle from it and soon, Meta Knight's gloves and armor were stained with his own blood.
He winced as more strikes landed across his body as he weakly blocked as many as he could. Having no opportunity to switch back, Meta Knight was forced to continue using his left hand as Dark Meta Knight drove him towards the compactor.
Dark Meta Knight charged forward and slammed his sword down, sending a wide sword beam tearing through the conveyor belt. Meta Knight turned just as the entire belt rippled as it came through. He was thrown against the wall, feeling a few of the frail bones in his wings snap under him. Getting up, he ran. He could not fight his own darker self. Dark Meta Knight was too powerful. He was fighting a battle he could not win by himself. Death was waiting for him to finally collapse dead.
"Stop running away like a child and face me like a man!" Dark Meta Knight called after him as he bounded up across a large stack of metal barrels on the platform and on to a ledge overlooking the conveyor lines.
Turning to a large control panel, he flicked on a few switches and pulled back on the large lever. Almost immediately, the entire factory came to life as the main core started up. The cogs that kept the conveyor belts moving began to turn faster along with the compactors and shredders all around the room. Lines securing vats of bubbling molten lava-like fluids came overhead, threatening to crack any moment and allow all of its contents to spill out.
Kirby fell back as the platform under him gave away and he leapt forward just in time to catch the edge of the conveyor belt before he was in mid air. The metal platform toppled over several other conveyor lines before vanishing to the darkness below. Pulling himself up, he glanced up as Dark Meta Knight tore the lever out from its socket, preventing anyone from stopping the machines. Then, the Dark One jumped down on to the conveyor belt behind Meta Knight and continued the battle.
Meta Knight stopped running to face his darker self, drawing his sword slowly. Kirby could see something that he rarely ever saw in his father: fear. Dark Meta Knight did not turn but he laughed out.
"So you finally see for what this fraud is? There is no Sir Meta Knight, he's a made up figure that never existed. Your father is and has only been Meta-K02, Prince of Demonbeasts."
He charged forward and struck out at Meta Knight, slashing his sword across the Black Angel's gold eyes. He collapsed and through a thin screen of red, Meta Knight glared at his darker self. Struggling to get back on his feet, he held his sword out in front of him with both hands. Dark Meta Knight watched him in amusement before striking him again, this time along his wings. Then, he stepped down on Meta Knight's throat, applying all of his force down to keep him there.
Meta Knight gasped out for breath as the two came closer to the large shredder that loomed overhead, tearing and ripping apart all in its way. The grinding of metal was louder now that it filled their heads. Tilting Meta Knight's head back, Dark Meta Knight pinned him down firmly to the conveyor belt, headfirst towards the large, rusted blades.
Meta Knight kicked and struggled, desperately trying to shake the Dark One off of him and escape. His sword had been kicked away from him, out of reach and his arms were too weak. He closed his eyes, trying to reach out with his mind flow but found no trace of it. It had deserted him along with his darker self.
"Hear that? It is the sound of death…your death that is. Hear the blades churn, all calling your name," Dark Meta Knight said quietly.
Meta Knight stopped struggling to look back towards the shredders, heart beating wildly with every inch they came towards it.
"You won't slip out of my grasp this time, this time, I will see your flesh tear, hear you scream out, and to feel your blood soak into the shadows. Have any last words?"
With a final burst of strength, Meta Knight threw Dark Meta Knight off of him, stood up, grabbed his sword, and leapt over the side of the conveyor belt just as the blades came down on where he had been only seconds ago. Dark Meta Knight curled his gloves into fists as he wiped the thin stream of blood off the corner of his mask and pursued Meta Knight, leaping over the side of the conveyor belt and elegantly landing on the next conveyor belt.
Kirby jumped on to the moving line in attempt to help his father when he looked down at the mess below him. All sorts of contraptions were lined up at the sides of the conveyor belt. Several compactors were lined up with little space between them, all slamming down at the same time. The ridges of the belt were lined with sharp blades that ground up material before it burned to ash under the intense heat of the fire that shot out every so often.
His father had walked straight into a death trap.
Like an out of control treadmill, the conveyor line moved so fast that both knights had to run as fast as they could to keep from being killed. Kirby could see that it would only be a matter of time before his father would drop from running against the flow of the conveyor belt. Meta Knight turned just as fire spurted out from a small hole at the side, narrowly incinerating his wings. He jumped over the large roller topped with spikes as it came through the piles of mechanical parts and flattened them out. Dark Meta Knight was in the air, flapping his wings with little energy, watching Meta Knight tire himself.
Kirby turned back and ran towards the metal barrels. He clambered up on to them and finally hefted himself on to the platform with the control panel. He glanced at the broken lever. Kirby pressed a few buttons, trying to find a way to stop it when he heard the sounds of electricity crackling. Looking down, he gasped as he watched the thin wires bordering the conveyor belt the two fighting knights were on light up with electricity. One piece of scrap metal scraped up against it and immediately, the entire piece was zapped up. Meta Knight flinched back as the energy crackled around him and to Kirby's horror; he tripped, heading straight towards the rows of shredders and compactors.
The rest of the group stood in a tight defensive ring as they made their way through the dark factory ground level. Barely any light reached where they were and only the faint glow of Kamira, Jecra, Garlude, Sir Arthur, and SailorDee showed the path.
"Stay together," Kamira murmured with a barely audible voice. "They're coming."
"Who?" Bun croaked out.
Almost as soon as he said it, the group saw them. They were completely surrounded by small, glowing eyes. The figures stayed a distance away to avoid the light from the spirits but their eyes gave away their movements. Not once did the figures blink nor take their eyes off of the group. Bun shuddered, holding his sword tightly in his sweaty hands.
They had followed the sound of the battle in the distance and had ended up finding their scattered friends along with Clara whose body looked so weak and frail she could hardly walk. Sirica helped keep her upright as they made their way but now, Sirica had to keep one hand open for her gun while she propped the puffball up.
Meta watched as the small, yellow and green haired boy, the white haired girl, and the armored one keep their weapons out at the ready. He still did not know who all of them were. Everything around him was confusing, especially from how all the others knew his name while he knew only a few of them. Inside, he was still afraid of these strangers, but he dreaded being alone.
He watched as the dark, shadowy figures scurried in a weaving motion between the large computers and gas tanks that lay forgotten on the factory floor. He could feel the intense energy that it took to create every last one of the figures.
Dark energy.
The only other time he had seen anything created with such power was when he watched Nightmare create new demonbeasts. Did Nightmare create these ones? They did not appear to have been. Meta could not sense the minds of any of them.
Suddenly, they all stopped, staring intently at the group. Sir Arthur gave an order and the group tightened their circle while Dedede drew his hammer out. Escargon shivered as the figures silently came forwards.
"Everyone! Don't move, don't say anything!" Garlude said through their minds. "Hold your breath too!"
Each of the living members of the group immediately sucked in their breath and held still, not daring to move. The figures stopped, as if perplexed why they suddenly could no longer feel the tense breathing of their prey. Nothing stirred for a full minute. Through the corner of his eye, Jecra could see that the living group members were struggling to hold their breath. Bun and Dedede looked about ready to gasp out any moment.
"You can do it!" He said, trying to encourage them.
The figures crept forward, slowly inching their shadowy forms towards what they assumed were the easiest targets. Bun was shaking vigorously in fear as one particularly large one weaved past his face. His heart beated violently in his chest and he felt his sword slowly slip out of his sweaty grip. Suddenly, a loud clatter sounded as the blade struck the floor, its ring echoing throughout the darkness. Bun gasped out before he clamped his mouth shut with both hands as he realized he had moved.
All at once, the creatures leapt out from the darkness, snapping their jaws in the air. Sirica aimed and fired her gun, giving no mercy to the monsters as Bun grabbed his sword and joined Blade as he slashed out at the advancing foes. The figures dematerialized as the bullets passed through them and behind them, the metal walls filled with bullet holes.
"Th…that's not possible!" She gasped out, firing more.
Dedede swept his mallet over the heads of the others to knock away another shadowy figure that came attacking. Its body broke apart as it slammed into the walls before it reformed itself, turning straight towards Dedede. The penguin met its claws with his hammer. Its back legs tore through his robes, up towards his throat before he threw it off of him with the flat end of his hammer.
"Look out!" Blade shouted.
Dedede turned just as one leapt out from behind him. It knocked him to the ground, slamming his head down against the cold floor as it ripped the rest of his robe to shreds. It raised its dripping mouth before it thrust it downwards in a killing strike. Dedede twisted his head painfully, missing its bite before with all of his strength, pushed its heavy body off of him. As it looked up to attack again, he raised his hammer and slammed it into it.
It struck against the other shadow monsters, creating a wide gap towards a lone elevator lift where a thin stream of light shone down on it like a beacon. SailorDee pointed urgently towards it and the group all turned to each other, nodded, and as a battering ram, charged their way through the rest of the monsters, hacking and slashing their way through.
Clara fell out of step behind the others, unable to keep up. She and Escargon both became further and further away from the others as the monsters came up behind them. With a wide sweep of his arms, Dedede snatched both of them up, taking them under each of his arms, pulling them away just as the figures closed the gap behind them.
Lololo and Lalala were the first to reach the lift and they flew over to the old control box. Together, they grabbed the crank and began wildly turning it. The rest of the group jumped on as the lift jerked upwards, knocking them all off their feet before it ascended up. They sat on the ground, trying to catch their breath as the platform rose higher than any of the creatures could reach. Over the edge, Blade looked down to see a sea of glowing eyes, all staring intently at him, making him shudder and pull himself back towards the others.
For a moment, they looked at each other with tired smiles on their faces in a silent triumph. Dedede let go of Clara and Escargon before lying down on his back. Clara carefully made her way over to the railing as of not to cause any sudden pain attacks before she let out her breath. The only sound was Lololo and Lalala turning the large crank and the elevator lift slowly making its way back to the main levels of the factory.
Then suddenly, the entire elevator slammed against the wall, throwing everyone to the far end of the platform. Loud scratching sounds grinded across the metal as the one shadow monster that had leapt on to the back of the others to catch the edge of the elevator lift, climbed up on to the platform.
Clara cried out as it clawed its way forwards towards her. Desperately hanging on to the railing for support, she stood up, backing away into the dented metal. Lololo and Lalala were going to help her when almost the exact moment their hands left the lift's crank; it slipped and fell back towards the darkness. They grabbed it, using their full force to keep it from slipping any further.
The monster bent its head lower, eye staring at Clara. Then, it raised its body and slammed down on the railing. The weak structure broke off and Clara screamed as she fell back out into open air. Grabbing the railings, she clung to it as her feet hung over the darkness. Then, a small object fell out of her hands. She turned back to watch the hourglass fall straight towards the large gears on the wall, the gears that lifted the elevator towards the light. She gasped out as it tinkled against the hard metal, barely weaving in between its crushing force, plunging down further.
Tokkori turned to see the bright object. The world around him receded into silence; the only sound he could hear was the sound of the hourglass. The moment the hourglass broke between the ridges of the gears, the sand would spill out and each one of them would suddenly vanish from the Mirror World, never to see either of the two worlds ever again.
Time seemed to slow around him and as he looked up, he saw a white figure standing on a ledge in the darkness: White Meta Knight. His white cape flowed behind him smoothly like ripples in a calm lake, almost appearing to glow brightly.
"Save the souls of your friends, Tokkori," He said through the bird's mind.
Tokkori blinked as he watched his wings unfold and he flew downwards like a pin cutting through the air. Faster and faster he went, making everything a blur around him. His body seemed to move without his mind telling him to.
Just as he reached for the hourglass, it bounced off another gear, dangerously tapping in between the closing gaps of the machine parts. Tokkori flew forward, tilting his body to squeeze himself through. Landing on the top of one gear, he hopped out of the way just as the one above it came down on where he had stood only moments before. He could feel beads of sweat form on his head as he made his way towards the hourglass. Any moment, the fragile glass could break and the sands would empty out even faster until not one grain of sand was left.
Tokkori looked up just as the gears rolled away, creating a large gap straight towards the hourglass. Seizing his chance, the little yellow bird, never well liked by any of the Dreamlanders, snatched up the hourglass and burst out of the maze of gears. He hovered in the air for a moment; almost stunned by that he managed to save himself and all of his friends from falling into the Void, before the sounds of battle returned him to reality.
Bun ran forth, drawing his sword. The monster turned around, rearing on to its hind legs to attack when his sword stabbed into its chest. Its eye seemed to widen as it clutched the blade, struggling to pull it out before it slowly collapsed, disappearing in a wave of smoke. Bun sank to the floor; gasping out, body shaking as his sword slid out of his hands with a loud clatter.
"I…I…"
"Bun!" Blade said as he ran over to the boy. "Are you okay?"
"Step away from him," Sir Arthur ordered. "It's battle shock. This marks his first kill as a warrior. I've seen many young shoulders go into shock straight after killing for the first time. He'll be okay, just let him rest."
Tokkori landed on the platform, holding the hourglass above his head in triumph. He set it down next to Clara who picked it up carefully in her hands.
"T…thank…you Tokkori…"
The little bird's chest swelled up with pride. Clara brushed lightly under his beak.
"B…brave acts…like that earn m…medals of honor among…the Star Warriors."
Lololo and Lalala gave a final turn and the elevator came to a halt. The group had to blink to adjust their eyes to the brighter surroundings. They could hear the sounds of sword against sword closer now. Running off the elevator lift, the two twins, on the count of three, let go of the crank. The elevator's line snapped and the chains, as well as the entire platform, disappeared into the darkness without a trace.
Blade dragged Bun back on to his feet. His body was no longer shaking but he said nothing. Suddenly, they heard a shout that got them all alert.
"Someone help!" Kirby shouted.
The group ran out back to the ledge overlooking the conveyor belts to see Meta Knight getting back on to his feet and running for his life. Now the sharp blades of the shredder were less than a yard away from him. He ran on, not daring to breathe as scrap metal was grinded up behind him. His wings were shreds of bloody strips. Dark Meta Knight stood on a ledge above it, foot on a large lever that increased the speed or the conveyor belt like a treadmill. The others could see that Meta Knight could not last much longer. He did not have the ability to fly on to another ledge. All of his powers were gone, now in the hands of his darker self.
Kirby turned to Escargon.
"You have to stop the conveyor belt now!"
Escargon took a step back.
"Me?! Why do you look at me? I can't stop that death machine! I'm sorry but your father's done for!"
Kirby looked at the snail, to shocked to speak. Kamira floated directly in front of Escargon.
"You aren't going to back down now. I'm going to help you. Now get moving!"
Escargon looked at the spirit, over to Meta Knight, and then finally the control panel. He opened it up, releasing a cloud of black smoke. He coughed and wheezed, wanting to turn around back to the others but Kamira stopped him with a fierce glare.
He opened up the compartment wider until the rest of the smoke cleared to reveal the mess of frayed wires. The entire compartment was almost completely blocked by a wall of the thin wires, some releasing sparks. Escargon backed up.
"That's WAY beyond fixing! You can't possibly expect me to rewire them all to stop it!"
"You don't need to. I can see right now the wires that you're going to have to cut and the wires that you have to reconnect," Kamira said, looking over his shoulder. "You do realize that I was a mechanic when I was still alive, right?"
"So why don't you fix it?"
Kamira held up her transparent hands and without even the need to answer the question, Escargon realized why: she no longer had the hands to touch solid materials.
The others watched as she directed the snail, making quick progress. Sirica handed her knife to Escargon and he sliced through many of the wires, receiving a few electrical shocks. Working together, Escargon and Kamira shut off the machines, one by one as Dark Meta Knight looked up, hissing under his mask.
With the last wire, the entire conveyor belt came to a halt and Meta Knight collapsed, gasping out in exhaustion. Lifting up his mask, he coughed out blood as his eyes flashed red towards Dark Meta Knight. His darker self turned back to him, stepping down on to the conveyor belt.
"You'd be nothing if you didn't have your friends. Actually…you'd be first the shredded remains of a coward and then the ashes of one. I stand corrected."
Meta Knight drew his sword out weakly, facing his darker self.
"You only have the advantage because you've taken everything from me."
"Oh really? Would giving you back your powers really change a thing?"
Meta Knight did not say anything but continued his cold glare.
"I think not. I think it is because you are fighting your own self. Your dark side is too powerful for even you to control. You try to deny it, but face it, you're a coward."
"I deny nothing!" Meta Knight shouted back.
Dark Meta Knight let out a deep chuckle.
"Let's see you deny your worse fears!" He said, jumping into the air.
The others gasped as he began to change form. His body disappeared into a veil of shadows, the silhouette of his new form growing. Then, with a sudden wave, Dark Meta Knight appeared, this time as Nightmare, Emperor of Darkness.
They watched as Meta Knight began to tremble, not wildly at first. He took a step back as Nightmare's shadow engulfed him.
"You say you have no fears…yet you fear your creator," Dark Meta Knight said through Nightmare's voice. "You feared punishment from him for all of your failures…how sad…how cowardly…"
"You take that back!" Meta Knight shouted, standing up and charging forward.
Dark Meta Knight transformed, this time taking a form that made everyone gasp. The copy of Clara smirked as Meta Knight came to a halt.
"T…this should…be interesting…" Dark Meta Knight said through Clara's voice.
Meta Knight was defencless as the figure of his wife leapt forward and struck him across the face. He slammed back into the conveyor belt, landing on his wings. Dark Meta Knight struck him over and over again, using Clara's laughter. The real Clara up above on the ledge could do nothing but watch her husband get beaten up by a copy of herself.
"Sir! That's not Clara! You have to fight back!" Blade shouted down.
Meta Knight got up, dodging the blows but not fighting back. Although he knew that the figure before him was a fake, he could not bring himself to strike back. Dark Meta Knight yanked out a sharp piece of metal from the rubble piles and holding it like a knife, he laughed again.
On the ledge, Bun could see that Meta Knight was not going to have the chance to defend himself. Grabbing a large piece of coal, Bun came up to the edge of the platform and threw it as hard as he could. It struck Dark Meta Knight, forcing him to change back to his original form. He shot up a glare at Bun before he turned back, drawing his sword out.
The two knights jumped off of the conveyor belt and landed on the large, turning cogs on the sides of the belt. Swerving in between spokes of the wheel, they continued their sword battle, jumping out of the way to avoid being crushed to death by them.
Meta Knight glanced up and leapt off of the cogs just as the part he was standing on was crushed by the cog above it. He managed to land on his feet and Dark Meta Knight landed before him. They now stood on the floors of the factory where a small open area was the set battle scene.
Dark Meta Knight threw his sword away and flexed his hands. Then, he raised his hand as energy rippled around him. Meta Knight was suddenly thrust into the air, choking and gasping for breath. His sword clattered to the ground loudly. He coughed out, blood flowing down from his mask. Dark Meta Knight tightened his gloves into fists and Meta Knight wretched out more blood.
Slowly, Dark Meta Knight waved his hand and Meta Knight was forced against a large metal gas tank. Then like a rag, he was rubbed across it, smearing his blood upon it.
Finally, he released his power and watched as Meta Knight sank to the ground, gasping for air in between coughing out blood. He transformed into Galacta Knight's form, making Meta Knight's eyes flash red. Dark Meta Knight looked over his new form, admiring the great strength he now had.
Waving his hand, wires and computer parts suddenly began attaching themselves together around his body. The parts of two large car engines secured themselves on his back while a large glass shield came down over his face, bolting itself down. Two large mechanical arms formed, wiring themselves to the figure of Galacta Knight's arms and he drew out his new gun, all loaded up with the power of a machine gun. Now standing like a robot from some comic, Dark Meta Knight looked down at Meta Knight, aiming the gun straight at his body.
"You chose such a hard way to die. This is it. Farewell…Meta-K02, Prince of Demonbeasts."
Kirby cried out as he watched Dark Meta Knight pull the trigger and his father sway before collapsing to the floor, sea of dark red pooling around him. The sounds of Meta Knight's armor against the steel floor rang through the deathly silence, echoing throughout the factory ruins. Dark Meta Knight quietly walked away from the scene, disappearing into the shadows. Kirby could feel his triumph in the air as he rushed to his father's side. Clara ran forwards as well, one frail hand over her mouth. She clutched Meta Knight, shaking him slightly.
"Meta Knight!"
The Black Angel's eyes looked up softly into her pale blue eyes. His hand slowly reached forwards to run along her cheeks, leaving a trail of blood on her face. Clara held his hand to her face, tears flowing down from her eyes.
"C…Cl…Cl…ara…" He said slowly, choking on his own blood.
Kirby watched as his father's hands drop, limply sprawled at his side. It was at that moment did Clara burst out. She screamed out his name, over and over again. Meta Knight's eyes turned to Kirby one last time before he closed them as they clouded over. His chest rose with his final breath and then, he was gone.
Kirby opened his mouth but not one sound came out. He could not comprehend the feelings and thoughts that ran through his head. He had failed. But then again, there had been no way he would have been able to stop Dark Meta Knight digging his father's grave.
He stood up slowly, heart taking a great effort to keep the steady beat of a metronome. Had he been standing in front of a mirror, Kirby would have been able to see why the others backed away: his body, though almost at a relaxed posture, gripped Galaxia so tightly that his hands were turning white. His eyes were serious, like sky blue flames.
At first, nothing seemed better than to get revenge on Dark Meta Knight. It slowly coaxed him, to lose control and kill Dark Meta Knight. He wanted to see the Dark One die how his own father did, to die painfully with blood tainting Galaxia. Then, everything began to slow around him. Meta watched with wide eyes as he too was pulled into the Time Zone. The others turned to petrified figures and mists began to form around them.
Kirby closed and opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by the time streams. Meta stood a few feet away from him, looking around in astonishment. They stopped a few feet away from one time stream and looked into it. Kirby watched himself as he and the others flew on Meta Knight's back to the Bay Village and from there to the mountains. He watched the battles unfold before him along with the deaths of Sword, Wolfwrath, Knuckle Joe, and finally his father, the most painful one to watch.
Kirby…
Kirby looked around, searching for the speaker. It was not White Meta Knight's voice but surprisingly his own.
Kirby…why do you seek vengeance when your father's death never had to happen in the first place?
Kirby stopped. He did not understand what the voice was trying to say to him.
You are the Half Angel, the one between the White and Black Angels of the Prophecy. You have power over time…would it be more than easy to simply wipe what happened to your father out of your time stream?
"Who are you?" Kirby called out with his mind. "What do you mean?"
You could simply make your father's death something that never happened…you are more powerful than both the White and Black Angels, Kirby. You don't have to be troubled by death…you miss Sword, Wolfwrath, and Knuckle Joe? They never had to die in the first place. You can change that. By going back into the past, you can change everything to what you see fit. Don't you see, Kirby? Nothing can stop you…
Kirby thought over what the voice said. Never before in his life had he ever felt as powerful as he did now. None of his friends had to die, they could all be saved!
And what about Kamira, Sir Arthur, SailorDee, or even Jecra and Garlude? None of them had to die. You can stop their deaths from ever happening…
For a moment, Kirby could not hear the voice. He was too lost in his own thoughts to hear. A strange smile formed on his face, stretching wider than normal. Galaxia glowed in his hands as his deep desire of power and control reached down into his heart, coating it like a smooth black paint.
You can even change your father to come back with you, to forget about his selfishness and to be with you and your mother…you can make him into what you want him to be…you can make EVERYONE the way you want. You don't like Nightmare? Get rid of him! You can change the past so that he never even existed. Think about it Kirby…you can change the universe the way you want it to be. All you have to do Kirby, is come to me…
His body moved without even thinking to do so towards the time stream he and Meta just came out of. The light blue glow shone brightly as figures moved about within the stream. Kirby's eyes were now films of red as he reached out.
Everything you ever thought was wrong, Kirby, can be changed…
Kirby's grin only widened, now highly resembling Nightmare's grin. He could already imagine himself and his father back in Dreamland and everyone was happy. He would make the GSA soldiers along with the Cappies to accept the demonbeasts back into Popstar. Everyone and everything were his pawns, useless pieces across a chessboard. None of them could stop him.
"Stop!"
Kirby's hand was held in midair by the glove of White Meta Knight. Kirby's eyes narrowed. White Meta Knight…he was the evil one! He was trying to stop him from saving his friends and making things right for the entire universe. Kirby forced his hand away from the fading figure and drew Galaxia, pointing its tip directly into his face.
"Kirby," White Meta Knight said with the same calmness he always had, which irritated Kirby. "Do you realize what possessed you?"
"Why are you stopping me? I'm trying to help everyone!" Kirby shouted.
"Look at yourself in the mirror, Kirby. Tell me…tell me what you see." White Meta Knight replied, suddenly holding out a mirror in front of him.
Kirby gasped in horror. The deep, bloody red in his eyes melted away, restoring to the light blue. He had turned to a monster without knowing it. He slowly sank to the ground, tears flowing from his eyes. Meta stood watching him as he turned back up to White Meta Knight.
"I…I only wanted to get my Dad back…"
"I understand. However, your innocent wish for your father to come back was shrouded in the deeper desires, although none of them something you would have ever even think of, consumed you. While you may have brought back your friends and placed them into a happier life, you would soon use your powers to control the universe, to make it into your slave. Hold still Kirby."
Kirby watched as White Meta Knight placed a glove over his forehead and murmured in a barely audible voice.
"Be gone, spirit of hate. Leave thy son's heart pure, untainted by thy impurities…"
Kirby gasped out as his body began to throb and twitch when suddenly, a dark form pulled itself free from Kirby's body. It drifted into the air, gazing back at the three with its small, glowing eyes before shooting out towards the other streams, searching for a weaker soul to consume.
"W…What was that?" Kirby choked out.
"Spirits of hate," White Meta Knight said. "This is what Dark Meta Knight was made with. This is what spoke to you, luring you to let yourself lose its control…"
"But why…why couldn't I try to save my friends and help the universe?"
"The spirit failed to mention that for some of your friends, it would be nearly impossible to save, especially for Jecra and Garlude. They had been dead for a long time and too many events happened after their death. For them, it is too late to try. You would have to ensure that after you erased their death from history, there are no drastic changes in the future because of that. It is possible that another event never would have happened or someone else died in their place. Do you understand this?"
Kirby nodded slowly. It was beginning to become clear—he would spend the rest of time trying to clear off the chain events that happened because of the deaths.
"Also, had you let yourself destroy Nightmare, you would have broken the balance between light and dark. Without light, there is no darkness, and without darkness, there is no light. Nightmare was also the one to bring existence to the universe. He was the ruler of the emptiness. He created everything in the universe and later your father. By wiping him out of existence, you would have destroyed the universe and yourself. Your powers, Kirby, are not to be used idly. You hold power that by far, out matches anyone who has ever lived before."
"So am I really the Half Angel?"
"Yes. You have both the blood of Meta Knight and Galacta Knight's ancestors, making you the one between them."
Kirby was speechless for a long while before spoke again.
"Can I still save my father?"
"Yes, with the right changes in the past, he can be saved. However, if you make the wrong decisions, he could have died a much worse death."
"But what am I supposed to do? To get him back?"
"That is a question even I do not know the answer to," White Meta Knight said slowly. "I am fading away. You will have to decide for yourself the path you will take."
Kirby reached forward, only to find that his hand passed straight through White Meta Knight's hand as if it was nothing but air. He could see that the white figure was becoming more and more transparent.
"Follow what your heart tells you is right; let none sway you away from the path you choose. I know quite well a few of your friends believe in destiny, particularly Kamira. But now, you are in control of your destiny. In other words, there is no destiny, only your decisions. Choose wisely Kirby…"
Kirby watched as White Meta Knight completely faded away, leaving only himself and Meta alone in the Time Zone. He felt even less secure than before, with no one to help him if he made a mistake. He shuddered at the thought of Galacta Knight. What if he did something wrong, and ended up with Galacta Knight again? White Meta Knight would not be there to save him and for sure, he would die with a knife sticking from his throat.
Suddenly, movement in the corner of his eye made his snap back to reality. Meta's body was trembling as he looked down upon the scenes before him, replaying his unfortunate life over and over again.
"If…if this is…is what forced me to live through pain and suffering…I WILL NEVER LET ANYTHING RUIN MY LIFE!"
Meta was breathing heavily, arms shaking.
"I…I could have been born to a real family…not created in a test tube…I could have had a mother and father instead of Nightmare…I'm going to take control of my own life and no one, nothing will ever force me to continue suffering!"
"Dad! No!" Kirby cried out, leaping forward towards Meta.
He knocked him down to the ground and they struggled until finally, Kirby grabbed both of Meta's hands, gaining the upper position. Meta shouted out in frustration, kicking Kirby painfully in the chest. Kirby gasped out as his father's younger self even bit him with an unbelievably strong bite.
"Dad, you can't do this."
Meta stopped.
"Did you just call me 'Dad'?"
"Yes, father. I am your son. You are in the future."
For almost a full minute, Meta said nothing; mouth hung open trying to form words but finding nothing. Then, he threw a punch that struck Kirby across the face, throwing him off of him. Meta got up, eyes glowing fiercely.
"Liar," He spat. "That's not possible."
Kirby looked up in shock, surprised that his father did not believe him. He stood up, raising his empty hands to show that he was not going to fight when Meta came forth, raising his glowing red fists. Kirby dodged the blow as Meta unleashed his power over fire. He swung downwards, missing the pink Star Warrior's wings. Kirby turned to see Meta's glowing white eyes. His other glove now crackled with electricity.
"Dad…you have to believe me…you don't suffer forever…you eventually escape, get adopted, join the GSA, and get married and…and eventually have me as a son…you have to believe me!"
"You're lying! You're lying!" Meta cried out between sobs. "Nightmare says that no one would ever love me anymore than he does."
"You have to stop listening to Nightmare! You really do escape and your life gets better! Dad, you have to believe me!"
"No…no…"
Kirby came forth, wrapped his hands around Meta, and hugged Meta tightly. Meta was crying, letting his tears flow down Kirby's arms.
"Dad…you have to believe me..."
They looked up to the figure of Meta Knight in the time stream in the hospital bed from the last journey. Kirby watched as he jumped up on to the bed as Meta Knight moved slightly, rag still draped across his eyes. The others entered the room as Wolfwrath padded up to the side of the bed and licked the Black Angel's head.
Then, Yabui entered the room. Kirby had to smile a little bit as his father tried to stop the so called doctor before he pulled the rag off his slashed face. Meta made a small gasping sound as he saw his future self open his eyes.
"Th…that's not possible…"
"It is."
"But how did I get to the future?"
"I brought you here."
Meta stood up, watching the time stream's images.
"So I die? Here in the future? I get killed?"
Kirby did not want to admit it but it was the truth. For now at least…
"Dad, I have an idea, but it's up to you if it will work."
Meta watched as Kirby plucked a silver feather from his wing and drew Galaxia out. Kirby winced as he sliced his hand open, drawing blood from his hand. Dipping the tip of the sacred sword in the wound, Kirby carefully wrote something across the feather. The blood dried on it, leaving a small message scrawled across it. He handed it to Meta who took it into his gloves.
"What does it say?"
Kirby realized that it was possible he had pulled his father out from a time before he had even learned to read or write. However, this fitted perfectly in his plan.
"Dad, it doesn't matter what it says now, but later, when you can read it, keep it safe. You understand?"
Meta nodded slowly before he suddenly started hiccupping.
"But what if*hic* I lose it or never *hic* be able to read it?"
"Trust me Dad, you won't be in Nightmare Enterprise forever. You will escape."
"But h-*hic* -how?"
"I can't tell you the answer to that, but you will escape and you will be free."
He pointed at Meta Knight in the time stream.
"That's proof of it right there. You've got to do this Dad, be strong."
Meta looked back up at Kirby, gold eyes full of sadness.
"I don't *hic* want to go …"
Kirby's eyes softened slightly.
"Dad, you can do it. You meet friends along the way. You won't be alone. And you will see me…later in life. I'll be there, Dad. I believe in you."
Finally, Meta clutched the feather tightly.
"Y…you *hic* promise?"
Kirby smiled.
"Why would I lie to my own father?"
Kirby walked Meta over to the time stream, walking past the memories and scenes until they came to where his father's younger self had been locked away. He could feel his father's hand tighten with uncertainty and as Meta looked at Kirby again, he gave a reassuring nod.
"Bye Dad. I'll see you in the future. It's all up to you now."
A/N: 0____o Meta Knight died. And what in the world is Kirby planning? What is the message that he wrote on the feather? Meta finally understands who 'Meta Knight' really is: himself.
I was SOOOO close to actually letting Kirby change everything that happened from both Beyond the Mirror AND Angels of Prophecy to a place where everyone is alive and live peacefully in Dreamland. The End. It would have been written something like this:
Kirby looked around himself to see the familiar grassy hills of Dreamland. Something was different, though.
He got up and breathed in as he closed his eyes. He could smell the fresh, clean air with the hint of salt from the ocean bordering Dreamland. He opened his eyes just as Fumu and Bun came over the hill.
"Hey, Kirby! Want to play soccer with us? We convinced the others to come and play too!"
Nodding, Kirby followed them, though still in a daze. He saw his father and mother sitting together on the slope of a hill, facing the sunset in the distance. His eyes widened as he saw Clara. There were no bandages on her head. Then, he smiled. Clara never got hurt in the war, he had changed that!
Sword, Blade, Knuckle Joe, and Sirica were already on the soccer field along with Kamira, SailorDee, Jecra, and Garlude. They were all happy. The prophecy, the quest to destroy Nightmare, and venturing into the Mirror World never happened…
And so on. I liked it enough that I almost actually did that, but it kind of defeats the purpose of bothering to pick up a pencil and write something. If characters could choose how the story ended, nothing of interest would ever happen. (And I'm sure you all were expecting a final battle scene between Meta Knight and Dark Meta Knight where he finally wins).
Also in the original writings, when Tokkori was flying down to save the hourglass from being crushed, he ended up dying by getting crushed to death under the gears. I decided to spare his life instead.
Another thing I just thought about is that actually, none of the writers here on Fanfiction own anything. Not even the stories that we write. This story, if in terms of copy rights, really belongs to Nintendo even if it is written by me. I guess we're all just plagiarizers stripping fanfictions of other people apart to add stuff to our own. :D
Like "Oooh! Kirby can talk! I'm going to add that to my story!" (copies)
Or "Cool! Mety turned into a dragon! That's definitely going into my story!" (copies again)
Hmmm….but then again, that makes the whole Disclaimer thing hard to do…I guess that's what I get for using Nintendo's ideas to satisfy my sick mind.
Please review!