As the Lor Starcutter prepared to dock, already Magolor and Sword could see that this wasn't going to be just a simple repair mission. When Magolor activated the landing camera to allow visibility of the ground, a muttered by the Ancients had tipped Sword off that something was wrong. And when she gazed upon the screen, she felt her jaw fall. A crowd had begun to swell around the courtyard and continued to grow with every passing minute. It was near impossible to make out any sort of words the people may have been saying, but Sword and Magolor had an idea why they were there. And they still couldn't believe it.
The ship landed, and King Dedede was bouncing with unkempt excitement at the door. For the umpteenth time this trip, Sword rolled her eyes into the back of her head. She strolled right on past him and towards Blade and Meta Knight instead. With Magolor's help, they were able to move enough of the wreckage to free the duo. Sword lifted Meta Knight, and a half conscious Blade was handed over to Magolor.
"Come on, come on, hurry up! I've got fans waiting for me!" Dedede tried to peek through the metal covered window, but it was in vain.
Another eye roll. Sword was certain she'd give herself vertigo if she kept it up. But there really was no point in waiting any longer. And the longer they remained here, the longer Blade and Meta Knight had to go without treatment. Her worry for her brothers in arms outweighed her annoyance with Dedede.
"Let's just get this over with." Sword murmured, turning towards Magolor. Without another word, Magolor deactivated the door lock, and it opened with a weak grunt of metal. The shift of fluorescent light to actual sunlight had the passengers of the Lor squinting for a moment, but this would be all. The moment the door lowered all the way, King Dedede exited the ship with his arms spread wide. The crowd went absolutely nuts. Applauds and screams of delight and desires for autographs were the only sound permitted in this little corner of Ripple Star it seemed. King Dedede blew a few kisses into the crowd at random, and this seemed to intensify their screams of joy even more.
He exited the ship in full, and behind him trailed Sword and Magolor with their casualties. By the grace of the stars, a small team of more composed fairies swooped in to intercept them both. Sword felt her nerves fray at the sudden wall of bodies, but forced herself to keep her nerves under control. They weren't in danger right now. She had to relax.
"Which one has been compromised by the Dark Matter?" There wasn't an iota of emotion on this question. It was pure by-the-book protocol. Sword didn't dwell on this for long, and stepped forward with Meta Knight in tow.
"I've got him here." Sword replied, allowing the fairies to form a half circle around her. Sword felt her hands hold fast to Meta Knight.
"For the time being, we will have to bind his hands. Safety protocol. If you'll please stand aside-" Whether the fairy had more to say or didn't care to finish, Sword felt her hold on Meta Knight being tested. She let go for a moment. But when her mind finally caught up to what the fairy had said, Sword felt herself try and grab at Meta Knight once more.
"Wait! What are you doing?!" Sword felt a sense of panic rise within her heart. Someone wrapped a gauze around his head wound, but she couldn't tell who. Her eyes turned to Magolor, but it seemed the alien was having his own conversation as well. Blade was nowhere in his grasp, and Sword felt that panic morph into the first stages of fear. But Blade wasn't far. Simply on a stretcher a few feet away. And as Sword let her eyes travel over the form of her injured friend, four fairies lifted their own corners of the stretcher, and began to move through the crowd. Fear and panic began to merge together in her mind, and in the few seconds she had turned away from Meta Knight, she realized they had gotten the bindings on his wrists. "You can't just-"
She didn't know what she was doing. Sword reached for her lord because that's all she could think to do. An arm was held against her that stopped her momentarily, but all this served to do was fuel her desire to reach Meta Knight. Somewhere she might've heard a warning to cease her actions, but it was all white noise to her at this moment. This was all wrong. Where was Blade? Why wasn't Magolor doing anything? What were they going to do to Meta Knight?!
"Oh dear. This is no way to treat our guests! Everyone, please do calm yourselves."
The noise just stopped. The sudden shift of volume felt like a physical shove, and many people found themselves reeling from it. The ones to recover faster were the fairy folk. Every single one dropped to a bow, startling the three Light Worlders left standing. After the fairy folk, it was Dedede who recovered next. A large smile grew on his face, and he began to dance on the spot.
"Yoohoo! Hey! Miss Queenie! I'm over here!"
Half walking and half shoving his way through the crowd, King Dedede approached the taller fairy with a spring in his step. The fairy in turn placed her fingers to her lips in a half hearted attempt to stifle her laughter.
"I can see that." She replied, not bothering to hide the smile on her face. "Welcome to my lovely corner of Ripple Star, good King. I wish you would've made it known earlier you were visiting. I would've prepared something a bit more eloquent for your arrival!" Now the fairy - the Queen fairy - turned to face Sword and the cluster of people around her. "And of course, any friend of King Dedede is a friend to Ripple Star. But we can continue formalities later." Her smile vanished, and her features turned a healthy dose of serious. "I've been informed one of the passengers has been infected with Dark Matter, yes?"
"That would be correct, your Majesty." Sword replied. "My deepest apologies. I didn't mean to cause a scene." Sword felt red creep onto her face as she thought back to what she had done just moments prior. She couldn't stop the cold grip of shame clutching at her heart.
"Dearie, no need to apologize. This is a very serious matter and I wouldn't be surprised if you were worried for your friend. I can promise you with absolute certainty that he will be cured in no time at all." Now she addressed the medical team near Meta Knight. The moment her eyes brushed upon them, they rose to attention. "Come now, no more dilly-dallying. Bring him to the crystal keeper at once!" A uniform yes ma'am was spoken, and the fairies returned to work once more. Sword grabbed at her arm, having to stop herself from reaching out once more. But it seemed the Queen took notice of this, and offered Sword a small smile. "You are of course welcome to join us if you'd like. To make sure all goes to your liking?"
Sword felt her mouth form the basis for her yes as soon as the question was asked, but had to clench her tongue at the last moment. If she went to look after Meta Knight, then what about Blade? He was alone with strange people in a strange place. Sword couldn't just leave him like that! As her mind began to form her rejection to the offer, a hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned to face Magolor.
"You go with Blade. I'll stay with Meta Knight." Sword blinked behind her helmet. Then blinked once more. And on the third blink, she was able to process what Magolor had said. She offered a swift nod, and that was all. Whatever spat they had had on the ship had been sidelined for the time being, it seemed. The Queen took this as their final response.
"Very well. I'll have my guards show you to the medical bay so you can be with your friend." As promised, a pair of guards arrived on scene not seconds later. "See to it this fine warrior is kept close to her friend at all times. Make her want for not!" The guards saluted, then turned to Sword. One beckoned her to follow, and Sword had to force her foot forward to get it to move. But once she started, it became easier and easier with each step. "I shall come find you once this matter has been dealt with!" This was the last thing the Queen could say to Sword before she rounded the corner and was gone.
One last thing had to be dealt with before they could depart to the Power Crystal, however. The Queen now turned to Dedede with the same smile she sported while speaking to Sword. "Good King, will you be alright by yourself for a little while?"
In the crowd, Dedede was still signing autographs and snapping pictures with fairy folk. Though at the Queen's question, King Dedede offered her nothing more than a hand wave. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I've got fans to meet and greet after all!" He returned to signing another autograph.
The Queen hid a snicker behind her fingers. "Of course. I'll send someone to fetch you at a later hour. Please enjoy yourself." And with that, the Queen beckoned all to follow. Meta Knight was being carried by two of the stronger fairies in the group, while a group of four each guarded a corner. Magolor and the Queen lead the way.
They made it out of the courtyard, turned a corner, and as soon as shadow touched the Queen's face, the Queens smile plummeted and plummeted hard. "The King is surely a wily one, isn't he?" She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I am of course thankful that he and his friends saved my people, but…" Another sigh. Magolor couldn't keep the smallest of chuckles off his lips.
"Ma'am, believe me, I know what you mean. He and some others once helped me repair my ship. I was stuck with him for days." The Queen gasped, putting her fingers to her lips.
"Days?! I only had to endure his behavior for a few hours. How in the world did you do it?" Magolor let out a dramatic sigh.
"I'm a saint, I guess." His mind forced him to remember the whole Prepare to bow, Popstar bit that occurred during that adventure, but he quashed the thought moments later. Let him just have his moment, darn it!
The rest of the trip was filled with small talk between the Queen and Magolor. He introduced himself. Talked about his life as a vagabond. Shared stories about what he had seen in the cosmos. The Queen offered behind-the-scene secrets of her day as a head of state. She shared funny stories of foreign diplomats. The small talk was nice, and when the two arrived to a pair of grand doors, Magolor ended up flinching when the Queen's jolly mood took a sudden plummet to stone cold serious. Outside of the door was a single fairy. She was a smidge shorter than the rest of the fairies, but held herself as high as the rest. When this fairy looked upon Meta Knight, her eyes hardened.
"Ribbon, is everything ready to go?" The Queen questioned, placing her hands behind her back. Ribbon bowed her head. It was a nod and a show of respect at the same time.
"Yes, ma'am. We can begin whenever you are-*cough!*" Ribbon turned her body away, and coughed deep into the pit of her elbow. The cold look on the Queen's face melted at the sound and action, and she leaned closer to Ribbon. Ribbon's eyes locked with the Queens for only a moment, but she let them drift to the floor moments later.
"You are still ill?" Though it was asked as a question, it required no answer. The Queen already knew it. And Ribbon knew she could not lie her way around it. Ribbon nodded. "Dearie, didn't you go to the doctor's like I asked?"
"I did! But she couldn't find anything wrong with me. She believes it might be stress related." Ribbon coughed once more into her elbow, and Magolor couldn't hide the look of disgust at the wet sound it made. Whatever sickness she had must've been destroying her throat in the process. The Queen put a hand on Ribbon's shoulder.
"We will talk more later. But for now, I must ask that you perform your duty as the crystal keeper. You said you were ready to begin, correct?" Ribbon nodded, and put a hand on the tall door.
"Yes. Please follow me." Ribbon cast a worried glance to Magolor. "The method we use is...less than pleasant to observe. But I need you to trust that we are doing what is right." Without waiting for an answer, Ribbon pushed open the doors, and the others began to move. Magolor offered a mumbled acceptance to...whatever the heck Ribbon was talking about before following suit. If he had anything else to say, it would be lost forever to his mind the moment his eyes laid upon the massive object in the middle of the room. The door opened to a small white bridge, and this bridge led to a room with an area large enough for a few visitors. Most of this space would be occupied by a single crystal. But this crystal commanded attention from all those that gazed upon it. It was not in the room, it was the room. It shimmered and reflected shades of green, purple, and blue light across the walls.
Magolor found himself frozen to the spot with awe, but a gentle nudge from the Queen would bring him back to reality. He felt a twinge of red brush his cheek, but made no mention of it as he returned to her side. The party crossed the bridge, and that's when it split up. Magolor was guided by the Queen a distance away from the other fairies and Meta Knight. The other party continued on closer and closer to the crystal. Close enough that one could brush it with their fingertips if they wished. Meta Knight was set on the ground, but the two fairies now clutched onto his form with tightened fingers. A nod was directed towards Ribbon, who returned it with her own. The other four fairies circled Meta Knight. Magolor couldn't read any of their expressions.
"We'll begin at once." Ribbon stated. She turned to the crystal and gazed upon it with knowing eyes, and placed her palms upon its cold surface with little fanfare. For the longest while, nothing of interest happened. Though all eyes were locked upon the crystal with ferocity. Magolor found his eyes beginning to switch from the crystal, to Ribbon, to the Queen, to Meta Knight; rinse and repeat. But because no one else was reacting, Magolor didn't feel it was right to speak. He kept himself quite, finding solace in gripping his cape between his hands and twisting the fabric into knots. Was it working? Was something going to happen?
A light, the sound of rattling glass, and Magolor whipped his eyes right back onto the crystal with a violent flinch. There had been nothing going on before, but now it seemed like there was too much. The crystal did not just rattle, it seemed to dance and twirl with such intensity that Magolor was certain it would crack. The light it emitted was as beautiful as it was blinding, and Magolor found himself having to shield his eyes in order to continue looking forward. Magolor allowed himself to steal a brief glance at the Queen. He could tell her jaw was clenched. Magolor didn't know what that meant. He returned his eyes to the crystal just in time to witness it act up once more. A ball of light had begun forming around the middle point of its cut. It grew and swirled with a yellow energy that seemed to emit a certain kind of warmth. The same warmth one felt when reading a great book or spending a day with good friends. The ball was around the same size as Meta Knight now, and though it seemed the crystal was still pouring energy into its form, the energy no longer grew.
The energy lunged forward with such speed Magolor found himself flinching backwards. Just as the Dark Matter had, the energy buried itself deep inside Meta Knight. The moment this light faded, a new light emerged in Meta Knight's eyes as he was forced back into consciousness. He gasped and flung himself forward. He avoided banging his head against the floor only thanks to the fairies holding him up. Magolor moved forward a few inches, and found a hand placed on the small of his back. He didn't need to look up to know it was the Queen. This gave Magolor a hair's width of courage back, and it was enough to keep Magolor rooted to the spot.
Meta Knight continued to shiver where he lay, and a horrible gurgling noise from the back of the throat had Magolor reaching for his cape once more to give his mind something else to focus on. Magolor had no idea how long this lasted. Seconds. Minutes. For all he knew it could've been hours. Meta Knight had started yanking on his bindings, and Magolor wondered how well the rope would hold up against a Star Warrior's strength. When the sound of something snapping filled the room, Magolor had his answer, and gasped as the two fairies now fought with all they had to keep Meta Knight still. But they wouldn't have to fight long, for whatever energy that had gone inside Meta Knight burst from his chest, and Meta Knight collapsed forward. He was gasping for breath, and the room plunged into silence once more.
Magolor couldn't tell what was happening. Was Meta Knight cured? Did the Dark Matter win? The energy began to shrink in on itself, and when Magolor's eyes returned to it, he would find his answer. The energy had acted like a bubble, and inside was the single Dark Matter drone. It bounced against the sides as it tried to free itself from its imprisonment with vigor. The bubble of energy continued to shrink more and more until the Dark Matter had no moving room whatsoever. Without warning, the bubble burst into a white light that Magolor and all the others were forced to turn away from. When it was over, all eyes returned forward, and Magolor found himself stunned still.
The Dark Matter was gone. As was the ball of energy. Whether it all had transported somewhere else or just exploded, Magolor couldn't say. But the Dark Matter was nowhere to be seen. Magolor took a tentative few inches forward. When the Queen didn't stop him, he hurried to Meta Knight's sides. The guards that had been fighting with him before had loosened their grip, only keeping their hands on him to keep him sitting upright. But when Magolor approached in full, they relinquished this job to him without a word. Magolor turned Meta Knight's face towards him, a great deal of worry crossing his face.
"Heeeey, buddy? You awake back there? Helloooo?" Magolor gave Meta Knight's arm a quick pat, hoping to jostle him back to the land of the living. It appeared to work, for a long groan sounded from behind Meta Knight's lips, and he managed to pick his head up to look Magolor in the eyes. Magolor felt the heaviest feeling lift from his shoulders, and he took an unhindered breath of relief.
"What…" Meta Knight groaned once more, pushing away from Magolor just enough to get a look at his surroundings. Whatever he had been asking before died on his lips. "Where…" It seemed Meta Knight couldn't form proper thoughts at this time. Just looking into his eyes you could see the exhaustion taking over. Meta Knight brought a hand to his head and pressed into it. But when his hand came into contact with the gauze on his wound, he pulled away with a flinch. "I don't-"
"Please, good sir. Don't over think things right now. You are surely still recovering." The Queen floated forward, landing a few feet in front of Meta Knight and kneeling to his level. Though Meta Knight felt exhaustion cling to every bone in his body, he still found enough power within himself to cast a suspicious glare at this strange woman. "I'm certain you have many questions. I will see to it you get answers after you recover." The Queen turned to her guards. "Please escort our friends to the medical bay. And someone find King Dedede and take him there as well." The Queen turned to Ribbon. "Why don't you go with them, dearie? Take a break. I'm sure you'd like to see Dedede again?" A smile grew on Ribbon's face, and she nodded with fever. The action left her a bit pale in the face though, so she ceased almost as soon as she started.
Meta Knight put up a brief resistance, but when confronted by Magolor and some comforting words, Meta Knight knew there wasn't much use in fighting back at this time. When a fairy tried to offer her assistance, he brushed her aside without a word. The group left the crystal's chamber, and the Queen started in the opposite direction. "I will return to you all shortly. I would like to check with the shipwrights to make sure preparations are being made for your ship." She paused, turning to Magolor. "You are the captain you said?" He nodded. "Then I believe you should come with me as I speak with them, Your input is very important after all."
Magolor paused, as if forgetting for a moment of the damages. But he drifted to the Queen's side moments later. The Queen assured both of her guests they would be reunited soon, and turned to leave, But before moving, she turned back. "There is also someone else whom I wish for you all to meet. I will fetch her before returning to the medical bay myself." The Queen left without another word, leaving the rest of the group to continue to the medical bay. With that, they were off. One of the fairies split from the group, no doubt in search of the King. Other than that there were no more surprises.
The group arrived to the medical bay minutes later. Meta Knight was escorted inside and directed to one of the beds, but he refused and refused again. It was compromised that he should at least take a seat on the mattress so his head wound could be properly observed. He relented, and allowed one of the nurses to start to unwrap the gauze.
"Sir!" Meta Knight flinched despite himself, and when he turned his head to the sound behind him, he felt his nerves relax when it was Sword that approached. His head wasn't turned much longer, for it was forced forward once more so the nurse could continue with her work. Meta Knight felt his lips tighten into a straight line, but his annoyance was released in one breath.
Sword approached him from the front now, and Meta Knight met her gaze for only a moment before finding a spot near her feet to observe instead. He could still feel her eyes upon him however, and he sucked in a long breath before speaking. "Are you well, Sword?" His words were curt, as if the thought of wasting breath was inconceivable.
Maybe this hadn't been the right thing to say, as Meta Knight would soon come to realize. Her head flinched backwards as if she had just been struck. "Me?!" She shouted. "Sir Meta Knight, with all due respect, I don't think you're the one that should be asking that." Sword took a step forward, finding her courage once more. "Your eyes are back to normal, and you seem yourself again. Are you well?"
Meta Knight did not answer for a few moments, instead keeping his eyes on the nurse as she continued rewrapping his head with clean gauze. She fluttered away only seconds later however, and Meta Knight was forced to look upon Sword once more. Another deep breath. He tried to look to Ribbon, but the young fairy had found a corner of privacy as she let Sword and Meta Knight speak. One more deep breath, and he looked up Sword. "Yes. I am well again." If his words had been curt before, now they held an air of finality only a guillotine could match. "Where is Blade?"
With a confused huff of air as Sword's only verbal response, she gestured behind Meta Knight. When he turned, he could see Blade under the covers next to him. He was asleep it seemed. The only reason he could see this was because Blade's armor was at his bed side. Meta Knight half turned to Sword. His eyes looked deep through her, and Sword could almost see the confused eyebrow. "There was...an accident on the ship."
Sword knew her pause gave away the truth, and Meta Knight caught it the moment it sounded. His eyes returned to the floor, and almost seemed to dim. "I see…" Was his only response. It was quiet, as if it was not meant for Sword to hear.
The conversation drifted to lighter topics after that. Meta Knight asked questions about their current location and what happened after their escape from the paint world, and Sword was quick to fill him in on what she knew. Yes, Meta Knight knew of Ripple Star. He knew of the Power Crystal here too. He almost laughed when it was brought up. The GSA had begged the fairy folk to let them use the Power Crystal for the war, but Ripple Star had remained steadfast neutral throughout the conflict. When you considered the fact that the crystal also doubled as the planet's most powerful means of defense, then it became more obvious why the fairy folk hadn't jumped at the chance to give it up. Meta Knight asked why they weren't on Popstar, and when Sword gave him a half hearted answer just like her first, Meta Knight could take a guess why.
A few minutes later, the medical bay doors opened up with a bang, and in strolled King Dedede. Meta Knight and Sword flinched at the sudden noise, but regained themselves moment later. Though both couldn't help but curl an eyebrow at the King when they noticed the lipstick stains here and there on his cheeks. The King look more elated than he had been in quite some time as well. After the hell he had been through, Sword and Meta Knight decided to keep whatever thoughts they had to themselves. King Dedede would not be held to this, however, and eyed the entirety of the medical bay with a hint of disdain in his eyes. So much for that jubilation from before.
"One of them guard folk told me to meet the Queen here." He said this as if an answer would arise from Sword or Meta Knight. All they could offer was a shrug. King Dedede huffed a heavy sigh before slumping down in a chair between Meta Knight's bed and Blade's. He roughly shoved his hat back into place, for it had fallen in between his eyes. He eyed the thing like it had offended him. "Do you know how hard it was to leave my adoring fans? I'm depriving them of my presence, and the Queen don't even have the gall to be here when she said she'd be?" He snorted. "Rude is what it is."
Sword felt herself frown deep behind her helmet at the choice of words King Dedede used against the Queen. The Queen who so far had been nothing but kind and generous to all of them might she add! Sword sucked in a long breath through her nose, and let it out of her mouth. She went to speak, but found her train of thought interrupted when a sudden trail of pink and sparkles zoomed past her head and straight for King Dedede. Though the fairy that now clung to the King's gut was no larger than his hand, the suddenness of it had the King rising to his feet in surprise nonetheless.
"Dedede, it's so good to see you again!" Ribbon squeaked, nuzzling her face against the fabric of his shirt. King Dedede squinted down at Ribbon. You could see the gears turning in his mind, but when they clicked, his eyes lit up.
"Oh yeah, you're Ribbon! I remember you!" King Dedede offered her a few head pats, which seemed to suffice for Ribbon. She pulled herself off of the King, and now hovered a few feet in front of him instead. King Dedede brought a slow hand to his chin, and anyone could see the strain on his smile as he looked upon Ribbon. Somehow, Ribbon missed it, and instead continued to look upon King Dedede with wide eyes and a big smile. When it looked like King Dedede might burst, he finally broke the silence. "So, uh, whatchya been up to since...the whole crystal thingy?"
Ribbon hid a smile behind her fingertips. "It's funny you should mention that." She started. "After we fixed the Power Crystal, the Queen asked me to help her protect it. I've been learning so much about how it works and how to use it and what it can do!" Ribbon clasped her hands together, and the way her eyes sparkled as she spoke could've outsparkled the very crystal she kept. "It's been an amazing opportunity! I've neeACK! COUGH!" Ribbon pulled back, and began coughing deep into the elbow of her dress. She didn't notice King Dedede back away while she did so, though if she did she didn't say a word about it. The flapping of her pixie wings became unbalanced, and she would've crashed to the ground if King Dedede didn't have the foresight to at least stretch his hands out and catch her. He creased his eyebrows deep when he could feel how bad Ribbon's body shook.
It took a few tries, but Ribbon found the strength within her to get her wings fluttering again, and she was once more in the air moments later. A few light coughs later, and she looked to Dedede once more. "Please excuse me. I've been a little sick as of late. It's nothing serious or...contagious." It seemed she had noticed Dedede back away before. Though her insistence of her sickness being safe was there, it did nothing to repel Dedede's disgust at the germs.
"Right, right. Just don't...cough on me or nothing." He avoided eye contact with Ribbon, as if whatever germs she was carrying could contaminate him through sight alone. "I've got a lot of fairy folk waitin' to adore me and I can't do that from bed."
"..."
All parties paused. Though Sword and Meta Knight had just been watching the exchange between Ribbon and Dedede in silence, they too perked up. There had been the sudden sound of...something, Something in the distance that no one could really place. All four heads looked upon one another, as if someone here somehow had an explanation. There were shrugged shoulders and head scratches abound, but nothing more could be said.
"...iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing-"
The noise didn't cease and seemed to just grow louder and louder with each passing second. And because no one could place what the strange noise was, nobody knew how to react to it. It was Ribbon who took the initiative and flew to the door. She opened it enough just to poke her head into the surrounding halls, and swiveled this way and that trying to locate the mysterious sound. It was still there! And still getting louder! Ribbon poked her head back into the room just to shrug at the other three before returning to the hallway.
"-Deeeeeeeeeeeeee-"
Ribbon laughed.
"Uh-oh, here she comes." Ribbon quipped while opening the door as wide as possible and fluttering a few extra meters away from it for good measure. A large half hidden smile could be seen on her face as her eyes remained glued to the door. Now the looks of confusion were shared between the three guests.
"She who?" Sword asked.
"The Queen?" Meta Knight added on. Ribbon just shook her head.
"-DeeeeeEEEEE-"
"I know that voice."
All eyes swiveled to the surprise speaker. King Dedede's eyes had gone wide, and he looked upon Ribbon with a sort of desperation that was most unlike him. He backed up a few inches, as if this new spot could protect him better against the mysterious threat compared to the old one. Now it was Meta Knight and Swords turn to cast each other confused looks. The mysterious sound - the voice - had grown close enough to identify. But the pitch was much too high to belong to the Queen. So then who could it be?
King Dedede began to dance on the spot, turning this way and that as if a solution would jump out at him. "Someone needs to hide me! I'm in danger I tells ya!" Ribbon responded to this with a giggle. It was only due to Ribbon's casual appearance that Sword and Meta Knight found themselves more confused than anything. Another perplexed look was shared.
"-DEEEEEEEEEEEEE-"
"AAAAAAAAAAA!"
A mint blur bolted through the door with such a speed that it required a double take to fully process. And this blur went straight for Dedede, leaping up and clutching to his stomach and sending both of them to the ground the moment contact was made. There was a crash as a shelf was rattled against the wall, but no further damage than that was caused. To inanimate objects at least. King Dedede lay spread on the ground as his brain tried to right itself back in his skull. Stars fluttered in his vision, and he made a groggy wish upon one that they'd all go away as soon as possible. He groaned, then managed to lean up on his elbows to stare down at the young girl that was now talking a mile a minute.
"-an't believe you're back already you big lug! What's it been, a couple years already? Ever since you and the other's left it's been real quiet over here. Though I guess quiet's good considering the opposite would involve the Dark Matter taking over again. The Queen mentioned something about the Dark Matter on your ship and I just couldn't believe it! But what I couldn't believe even more than that was that big ol' you was here to visit little ol' me! I mean-"
"Don't you got an off button?!" King Dedede shouted, picking up the young girl by the back of her smock and ripping her off his chest. From there, he managed to rise to his feet, using his free hand to pop his spine back into place. "And didn't you used to be more quiet than this?"
The girl laughed, waving her hand as to dismiss the idea. "That was the old me, Triple D." Before King Dedede could respond, she rotated in his grasp to gesture at the others in the room. "So introduce me to your friends here!"
King Dedede huffed, then dropped the girl to the ground with little fanfare. "I don't got time for introductions. Besides, you like talking, you figure it out."
The girl gave King Dedede's gut a hearty slap. Despite the rude comment, she laughed anyways. "I almost forgot how grumpy you were! It really brings me back." King Dedede felt his eyes roll into the back of his head, but the girl didn't see it. She turned back to the others. "Hi there friends! My name is Adeleine, though you can just call me Ado for short." Ado offered a deep bow. "What do I have the pleasure of-"
"Adeleine, you gave my poor guardsfairy a fright! Goodness child, you have an unyielding fountain of energy!"
Ado jumped, turning to the door like it had just burst into flames. The tone was recognizable as soon as it spoke, and moments later the fairy Queen drifted into the room. She wore a stern look on her face as she glared down at Ado. Though the Queen didn't take her eyes off of Ado, Ado kept her eyes pointed anywhere but the Queen. Eventually this half stare down game would end, and the Queen would sigh with defeat. She looked to King Dedede. "She didn't spook you, did she?"
King Dedede had already puffed up, ready to burst into a terrible fit of just how much Ado had done a bit more than just spook him. But his movements ceased without warning a few seconds later. And in even less time than that, his puffed up anger turned into a puffed up chest and a cocky eye. "Of course she didn't scare me. I'm way too brave for that!"
The Queen hid a laugh behind her fingertips, though a closer look might've saw a very faint eye twitch to go along with it. "Very well then." She replied, turning from the King to Meta Knight and Sword. "I'm glad you two have been reunited. Your friend Magolor is with the shipwrights as we speak working on repair plans. I've been told these repairs could take two weeks time. Until then, you will all be considered important guests and treated as such." She looked to Meta Knight. "After you have recovered a bit more; and after your friend wakes up of course-" She nodded to Blade "-I'd like to show you all to your accommodations for the remainder of your stay. I do hope you all find them to your liking."
"Your hospitality is greatly appreciated, your Majesty." Meta Knight replied, offering a nod of the head as a quick show of respect. "But I must infringe on this generosity at the moment with a request. I need to send out an important transmission, and it cannot wait much longer. Is there a terminal I can use?"
The Queen's eyebrows creased, and her mouth pressed together into a tight line. "But good sir, wouldn't you prefer to rest a little bit more? You've surely been through much."
"I will surely take my time to regain my strength once this matter has been dealt with. But I must reiterate with great importance that it cannot wait." Meta Knight had already hopped off the bed in the middle of his sentence, despite a raised arm of protest from Sword. He brushed it off with little fanfare.
The Queen looked like she wanted to protest, and Sword pleaded with her eyes hidden behind her helmet to keep Meta Knight here. But in the end, she sighed. "I would not want to get in the way of important business." She mumbled. The Queen turned to one of the guardsfairy by the door, and clapped her hands. She turned with a salute. "Please escort our good friend here to our communication hub." The Queen then turned back to Meta Knight, and gave him an accusing look. "And then make sure he comes straight here afterwards. He needs his rest, by goodness!"
Meta Knight couldn't help but chuckle as he offered another bow to the Queen. "As per her Majesty's request, I will return here once the matter has been taken care of." He turned to Sword. "Stay here until I return."
Sword saluted, and Meta Knight was out of the door moments later. The Queen couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Goodness, it's like he doesn't want to get better." She quipped. But in the end, the Queen took a deep inhale, and let out her agitation in one breath. Then the Queen turned to the others. "Now then, when our friend returns, let's have a proper introduction, and then we can discuss the matter of your stay further."
Everyone agreed to this. Ado returned to talking to Dedede about her time on Ripple Star. King Dedede begged for help with his eyes. No one helped.
-OoO-
Where there was once perfection in the Mirror World of Castle Dedede, now presented only chaos. Not a destructive one, but an active force. Everyone had a job to do, and nobody wanted to be the first caught not doing it. Cappies ran too and from their destinations, and in the crowd of bodies it was near impossible to tell who had free will and who was being controlled by the Dark Matter. But those with sound minds knew they were one slip up away from losing the only thing they had left, and so they continued on with whatever task they had been given.
Many of the tasks at this time all had to do with one phenomenon taking place at the Castle. Kirby. Or more to the point, whatever experiment Nightmare had done on the small Star Warrior. From the moment the Dark Lord had exited his room with Yamikage in tow, orders were barked and demands made. Kirby had managed to open his eyes for a few brief moments, before closing them once more. But his sleep was not as deep as before, and Nightmare knew Kirby would wake again sooner than before.
It had been hours since then. Not only since Kirby had first attempted to wake, but hours since Marx had approached with news of the Light Worlders escape. There hadn't been a peep from the jester since then, and though this meant no news of the capture of the Light Worlders, it also afforded Nightmare and Yamikage a few moments of blissful silence. They reveled in this gift, only speaking if necessary. And when talking, their conversation was actually one worth having. Intelligent minds departing their knowledge onto one another. It was a wondrous change of pace.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
That had to come to an end eventually.
Only one fool would be dumb enough to attempt to break down the Dark Lord's door, and Yamikage felt his soul attempt to leave his body in order to avoid the guest at the door. But it would not come to pass, and Yamikage opened the door with a deep scowl behind his mask. There were a thousand and one things Yamikage had planned to drill into the damnable jester's head, and they were all right behind his lips as he gripped the door handle. But the moment his eyes fell upon Marx, all the words died in his mouth. Yes, he expected Marx to be here. Yes, he knew Marx was a dirty creature in both meanings of the word. And yes, he knew Marx could sometimes leave bits and pieces of himself lying around if not reminded to keep it together.
Though being covered in dried paint was a new one.
Yamikage squinted down at Marx like he could glimpse the answer to his unspoken question if he stared hard enough. But all it got for him was a sneer from Marx before the jester circled around the ninja and to Lord Nightmare's side. Yamikage couldn't help but check the floor where Marx stepped, and felt his blood pressure rise when he realized Marx was tracking paint chips everywhere he went. Better it be dry paint than wet paint, at least. Yamikage snorted, but returned to his bedside spot once more.
If Lord Nightmare cared about the paint in any way, he didn't show it. He only looked upon Marx with an eye only reserved for disgusting insects or chewed gum on the sidewalk. Marx entered a deep bow, letting the pompoms on his hat thwack the floor in front of him with a sad pomf. "They have escaped, Lord Nightmare. It was out of my control." His words were spoken with speed, as if he feared he wouldn't be able to get them out in time if he didn't speak them fast enough.
"Out of your control?" Nightmare replied, turning away from Marx and back to Kirby. His tone was flat, almost bored. But there was an ice in it that held a heavy sense of dread. He gave Marx a quick glance, and his eyes said it all. Explain yourself.
Marx attempted just that. "I had them right in my grasp too!" He lifted his head, his eyes wild with an array of emotions. "I was sooo close to getting that little floating alien and punching the Light Worlder's lights out!" Marx looked from Yamikage to Nightmare, and back again. "I-I even found another alien that Kirby pissed off and managed to get her to fight for me!" There was a visible eyebrow raise from Yamikage, but no other reaction was made from either party. "But no, it didn't work! She let them get away! And then when they were gone, she turned on me!"
Yamikage snorted, crossing his arms. He pointed a single lazy finger at Marx. "That doesn't explain why you're covered in paint." Dirt he could understand. Blood too. Hell, even Dark Matter ooze. But paint?
Marx rolled his eyes, rolling his head along with them. It was as if he had been asked the most inconvenient question possible. "Well, duh, she was from a paint dimension. Had a lot of paint based attacks. At one point turned into a literal ball of paint just to spite me. Helloooooooo?!" It was Marx's turn to snort now, and he returned his eyes to Nightmare. Yamikage felt a vein snap in his forehead. "Though they may have escaped, I left them with a little parting gift that I'm sure put a damper in their day one way or another." Another deep bow. Another sad pomf. "With your permission Lord Nightmare, I'll begin tracking the Light Worlder's down immediately."
Nightmare held up a single gloved hand. "No. Leave them be for now. I do not want to waste resources on this. We have more important matters to attend too."
Marx jolted upwards a few inches, just enough to look Nightmare in the eye for any sort of hint that the Dark Lord had been kidding. He found none. Marx gaped like a suffocating fish. "B-but what about the little floating alien you wanted?"
"He will turn up eventually. There's no reason to charge after them. I have no doubts that those fools will run straight to the GSA with the news of my return and the news of Kirby. Currently, we don't not have the means to defend against their forces." There was a pause in his words. Enough time to let the lethality of what he was going to say next sink in. "That will change soon enough."
Marx perked up all the way, tilting his head to the side. "Have the Dark Matter expanded as of late?" An expansion in their patrol radius meant any and all living things caught in their sights would be dragged straight into Lord Nightmare's clutches. As far as Marx could remember, only the surrounding area of Pupupu Village and the Woods were under Nightmare's control.
Nightmare let out a short laugh, but there was about as much humor in it as there was a train wreck. "I'm always impressed at how narrow minded your questions can get, Marx. You have the memory of an infant." Marx felt his lips press into a thin line, but there was no other reaction.
"Lord Nightmare." The word was curt, and spoken barely above a whisper.
"Yes, Yamikage?" Nightmare turned to the ninja, once more holding a disinterested eye.
Yamikage gestured to Kirby with a single sweep of his arm, and both Marx and Nightmare looked upon his form. Though Marx's surprise at seeing Kirby was more due to the fact he hadn't noticed Kirby at all to begin with, Nightmare held such a mild shock that you almost couldn't see it on his face. But the quick flash of something in his eyes gave it all away. Something had managed to startle the Dark Lord.
And that thing had been Kirby opening his eyes once more.
They were open, and they were remaining open too. Not a word was spoken as this moment washed over the three figures like a dark, ominous ocean wave. Yamikage didn't feel privileged enough to break the silence first. Marx just didn't know what to say. It would be all up to Lord Nightmare to rise above the crushing waters and figure out what to do next.
"Can you speak?" Lord Nightmare asked, keeping his tone an odd form of light while speaking to Kirby. Of course, perhaps this wasn't Kirby at all anymore. Yamikage felt his fingers twitch, and he wished for the cool leather of his katana underneath his palms. But he remained still.
So too did Kirby. If Kirby had even heard Nightmare or not, he didn't react. His blinking was mechanical, as if he was trying to remember how to perform the action to begin with. There wasn't much to take in when one looked into his eyes. They were just seeing and nothing more. Though his eyes now held an ominous red tinge to them, there wasn't anything else within them that screamed Dark Meta Knight. Cosmetically, Kirby looked like Kirby, though with red eyes and horns. What really mattered was what was underneath all these changes though. Who was Kirby inside of his mind? This stand still would come to an end with something as simple as Kirby opening his mouth. He closed it soon after, only to open it again. He brought a paw to his lips, as if trying to feel for something that wasn't there. His breathing came out ragged and his tongue curled in odd ways.
Yamikage squinted down at Kirby as something clicked in his mind. "Kirby cannot speak, correct?" Aside from simple poyos or baby talk, but that was useless garbage to him.
Marx shook his head. "Nah, he can say simple things. Whatever's taking him so long to pipe up is on Dark's end." He tilted his head, which was the closest thing to a shrug he could accomplish. Yamikage frowned, but didn't respond. Marx hadn't earned a scathing reply this time. Neither spoke again.
Though Lord Nightmare's outward appearance hadn't changed, it was clear his patience had grown slim. Something horrid was radiating off his form that anyone could feel from miles around. "Kirby." He glared down at the figure in bed, waiting for a reaction. There was none. "Meta Knight." Same thing, and no reaction. Nightmare's eyes tightened.
"I-I…"
Progress. Actual progress. Just this simple word made it known that the voice coming out of Kirby's body didn't sound like Kirby's or Dark Meta Knight's. It was a combination of both. That of a child's with an odd bass too it.
Kirby swallowed a lump in his throat, and tried again. "I'm...lost."
This sent Marx and Yamikage into a higher alert. They didn't have the confirmation that Kirby's mind had been snuffed out, which meant that they knew anything could happen. Though neither lashed out, it was clear both had grown tense. Nightmare ignored his henchmen, and continued to give his attention to the figure in his bed.
"What do you mean, lost?" Nightmare asked, keeping his words slow and easy to understand.
Kirby tried to sit up, but cringed at the movement. Once more, his mouth opened and closed as he tried to speak. "I...don't feel...whole." He replied. The words felt like cotton in his mouth, but he pressed on for reasons unknown to himself. "I don't...feel like…" Kirby's mouth continued to move, but no more words came. All he did was shake his head to finish speaking. His vocabulary felt limited in this state, and he couldn't find the words he needed to describe his plight.
But it seemed Nightmare did. "You don't feel like Kirby or Meta Knight, correct?"
Kirby - or whoever this figure was in bed - nodded. Nightmare hmmed, turning away to stare at the blankets draped over his form. His eyes were blazing with thought as his mind worked. "This complicates things." He mused.
Marx didn't turn away from Kirby, but wore a deep, confused frown at Nightmare's words. "So is Kirby on our side or not?"
Yamikage's head snapped to Marx's direction. "It's not that simple, you ignorant beast. Clearly something has gone wrong with the merging process. Let Lord Nightmare work in peace!" Yamikage and Marx glared each other down with a fire in their eyes that could've set the fabric ablaze. There was nothing more Marx would've loved more than to shoot an energy beam right between that damnable ninja's eyes.
"Enough, both of you." At Nightmare's command, both parties shot one more sour look to each other before returning their eyes to Kirby. Nightmare took a deep breath, and returned his eyes to Kirby as well. "What is your name?"
The question was a simple one, and something even children knew how to answer. But with this question, Kirby felt two answers enter his mind. Both were correct in a way, but both were also just...wrong. If he leaned more towards one, the other name would start vying for his attention and convince him they were the correct choice. Kirby shook his head. "I don't know." His words were so quiet even he could barely hear them.
"Do you have any memories?"
Yes. By the stars did he have memories. So many different memories from so many different perspectives. One memory could offer him happiness in his heart, but a conflicting memory could sour that emotion seconds later. He could remember merging his mind with Kirby, and could remember having his mind invaded by Dark Meta Knight. He had memories, and they were all his for certain, but none of them felt right. They were all like he was observing someone else's memories from a monitor. Kirby felt his mouth gape a few more times before answering. "I-I don't know." Kirby brought his paws to the side of his head and closed his eyes. His body began to shiver from a cold that pervaded every inch of his body.
Just who was he now?
Something soft touched his shoulder, and Kirby lifted his eyes to look upon Nightmare with a desperation he had never felt before. He could feel intense negative emotions towards Nightmare, but there was also an unwavering respect too. Like two sides of a coin that flipped for eternity.
"Calm yourself. You are currently two of the most powerful beings in two universes merged into one. Neither mind was destroyed, merely parts morphed to fit into one another. You are not Kirby. You are not Mirror World Meta Knight. You are someone entirely new." Kirby nodded, his movements slow and thoughtful. He clung to Nightmare's words like a starved dog to a bone. Where there was once fear, understanding began to take shape. His paws lowered to his side. "When you have regained your strength, we will figure out just what pieces of each mind endured the merging process. Though I can't help but wonder how much of Kirby has truly remained inside you if you have not attacked any of us on sight yet."
It may not have been worded as a question, but Kirby felt the request of an answer hanging in the air nonetheless. For the first time since waking, Kirby finally noticed Marx and Yamikage in the room. Yes, he could remember who these two were, and he held two different emotions for both of them. One of them was the same as Nightmare's had been. Intense and negative. The other was...complicated. Kirby felt a frown grow on his face when he realized the word friend was much too high a compliment to pay either of these two. He knew he wanted to attack both of them, that was for certain. Not because they were the enemy.
But because they dared looked upon him with such distrust and disrespect.
The lowest of laughs could be heard from Nightmare. Though Kirby had not provided a verbal answer, it seemed the distaste that had grown on his face was enough. "Very well, we will leave you to your rest. In a few hours you can eat and try to move around. We will also need to begin testing your physicality as soon as possible." Nightmare began to walk away, and this was the cue for Yamikage and Marx to follow. Nightmare put his hand on the doorknob and turned it, but the smallest of sounds stopped him. He looked to Kirby, who had let the start of a sentence slip past his lips. It seemed that was as far as his mind had gotten him, though, for once more his mouth gaped as he tried to find the right words.
"Wh-what is…" He started, feeling his resolve waver. "...What is my name?"
Silence for a few moments. Nightmare turned back to the door.
"Are you Kirby?"
"N-No."
"Are you Meta Knight?"
"...No."
"Then it seems you need a new name." Nightmare turned towards Kirby so that the edges of his eyes were visible. There was an intensity inside those yellow orbs that no creature alive could ever hope to match. This was something Nightmare had been expecting to come up, one way or another. "A name for a knight that holds the power of not one universe, but two inside of him."
Nightmare opened the door.
"From now on, you will be known as Galacta Knight."
He left the room without another word, leaving Marx and Yamikage to shoot Kirby one more long, untrustworthy look, before following Lord Nightmare in pursuit.
The door closed with a bang that would echo throughout time.
Yooooo look at all that talkiiiing. But listen, we just had like 203292 chapters of action and things. We gotta let the charries breath once in a while.
BUT YEAH, THINGS ARE HAPPENING. THINGS ARE BEING REVEALED. WILL COOKIES EVER STOP ADDING NEW CHARACTERS? Of course not what a silly question.
Can't really say when the next chapter will be up. I'm still out of state right now and won't be back home until tomorrow, but after that I have a few things I need to do. Then I have job training starting in two weeks that's gonna eat up most of my weekdays. I'd put it maaaax two weeks, but that's really stretching it I think.
And as always: Review, favorite, follow, trade, slam dunk, skateboard with, and ENJOY this chapter!