~Chapter 28~
Another day and night passed, and Kirby had shown his friends and mother in that time how well he could handle Andromeda. They were quite impressed.
"It's as if he was born to be swinging that thing around." Fumu commented. Meta Knight nodded,
"He probably was. As I was with Galaxia." he replied. Fumu nodded, and her expression fell,
"Meta Knight...if we can't go back to Popstar...where will we live?" she asked in a small voice.
"Why can't you stay here?" Stella swerved into their conversation, her sightless eyes staring though them like a lighthouse light through fog, "I certainly enjoy your company. It's been good to see my children again, and you are quite a charming young lasy, miss Fumu."
Meta Knight's gaze shifted toward his mother, "I'm not a child." he said, "I am fifty-thousand years old, thank you."
Stella snorted, "Come now, Meta. I'm two hundred thousand four hundred twenty-six years your elder. You and Kirby will always be my children." she said not unkindly. Meta Knight didn't respond, and Fumu gave an amused smile,
"So anyway, where are we gonna get a ship to get to Popstar?" she asked. Stella blinked, her unfocused eyes penetrating her form unnervingly,
"We'll have to salvage parts from the Halberd. It's the only material around here suitable, besides, of course, sand and rocks." she replied curtly.
Fumu sighed, "If we have to live here...how is this place?"
Stella looked at her, "There are no cities or towns on this planet, as far as I know. The perfect retreat for hermits and outcasts. No one asks questions, no one gives answers, save myself. You care for yourself, or risk your life with selflessness. That is how it is on Flightstar." she said.
Fumu blinked, "But what about you?" Stella sighed,
"I told you. I was a Star Warrior, and though I'm old I still keep my wits about me. It's my nature, I guess, to aid others. But I can still put up a decent fight if one decides to exploit my help." she said. Fumu nodded, noticed tension in the air around her. She turned her head and noticed Meta Knight had gone rigid.
"What's wrong?" she asked, and the knight didn't respond.
What was wrong? Something was setting his senses on hyper-alert, and his nerves bristled with alarming foreboding. His instincts were stirred up frantically, and his sub-conscious was running at fever pitch. His mind was in a full canter to catch up.
Something in him was trying to say something, no, to warn something, and Meta Knight found this nameless threat just mockingly out of his reach. He could not name what was bothering him, and he realized he was causing alarm and fear in Fumu. He turned to her, and knew he couldn't hide the truth, "Something's coming." he murmured. Stella's eyes went wide, the next one to catch up on what the swordsman was sensing,
"Oh dear god no..." she breathed, "It's the approach of..."
"WOLFWRATH!" Kirby screeched. The three whipped around to see the dark wolf demon himself in a full sprint approaching them from the distant horizon. Demonic screechy roars emitted from his jaws.
"Kirby! Hide!" Fumu shrieked.
Meta Knight felt his blood run cold. Wolfwrath...that cur...was still alive? Impossible...Kirby cut him in half with his own sword! How could anything survive a demise like such?
Then why was he back?
Texico. It was the only thing time allowed Meta Knight to blame, and the blue knight drew his sword. Kirby, clearly not going to take Fumu's side, jumped to his brother's side, holding up his flame-colored sword to the sun, where it struck off the blade and made red light dance around them.
"Kirby..." Meta Knight said. His little brother gave him a sideways glance,
"I'm fighting by your side..." he said, "There's no way that damn dog could have come back after what I've done to it. I want to see what kind of shit is up here."
There would be time to chastise Kirby's language later, Fumu decided, and felt Stella leading her toward her shelter, "But..." she began, and Stella had already pushed the blondie into her home before another protest was spoken.
...
Meta Knight and Kirby stood side-by-side, their sacred blades drawn and poised to strike, while Wolfwrath faced them, his face twisted in a look of everlasting hatred. This was his moment, his time to kill the one who ruined his reputation, and later his life. Now he was back from the grave, bloodlust as fresh as it had been the day he had been created.
For a moment, they stood glaring daggers at each other, until Wolfwrath made the first move. Leaping, he soared through the air toward them, fire gathering around his jaws. The puffballs split up, one at each of his flanks. He swerved toward the nearest puff, Kirby, and lunged at him. Kirby swung Andromeda at him, dangerously close to his face. Wolfwrath retaliated with a fireball, which hit the ground before Kirby with enough force to topple him backward.
Then Meta Knight pounced him. Wolfwrath twisted in his direction as he felt his nemesis's paw grip one of his back spikes, attempting the same schpeal he did all those years ago. Wolfwrath fell sideways, and swung his blunt paw at the knight, who parried it with Galaxia. It was enough for Meta Knight to weaken his grip, and with a powerful, explosive movement, sent the knight flying off of him.
No sooner had he dislodged his enemy was Kirby was upon him again, slamming the blade of the sword uselessly against the orb on his head. Before Wolfwrath could swipe him away, Meta Knight, with his wings unleashed, was against him again. The wolf demon screeched. It was too much.
Galaxia was slicing through his haunches, and Andromeda was banging into his head, making his skull rattle, but Wolfwrath continued to act defensively and struggle. Teeth extended, he aimed for Meta Knight again, trying to embed another fang in his body like he had done before, but Kirby had Andromeda slicing at his throat. Gasping, Wolfwrath undulated, trying almost desperately to shake off his opponents, who were spattering the sand with his blood. Not theirs. His...
Wolfwrath sent a shower of fire all around him, and heard Kirby grunt in pain, assuming he was hit. Exploiting the opportunity, he sent Kirby flying off of his body, and now focused his wrath on Meta Knight, who was swinging Galaxia in arcs through his fur and flesh, staining the golden tip red. Wolfwrath swiped his claws at the sword, parrying them to the best of his abilities, and let loose a flaming orb toward the blasted knight.
Meta Knight deflected the shot, sending Wolfwrath's own firepower to connect with his person with the same force he shot the orb at. The blow sent him to topple backward, balance steadily dropping. Then it came, almost.
Meta Knight swung Galaxia down his chest, right where the X was. Wolfwrath gave a trill of alarm and terror as the scar reopened, letting his life's blood to pour on through his body, and soaked his pelt. Jaws gaping, Wolfwrath lay on his back, one paw pressed into his chest. He could feel the pulses of the unknown part, much more clearer, and with alarm realized this was something he never had while in Nightmare's army, but with the scientists.
The blood seeped through his claws, and Wolfwrath continued to press his paws into the horrible wound. He stared at Meta Knight, golden eyes wide and starting to glaze over. The blue knight stood over him, and for some reason, Wolfwrath felt the urge to speak, something his had attempted to since his creature. He stared at Meta Knight,
"Something..." he gasped, much to Meta Knight's suprise, "they...they put something in me...it's not supposed to be...
