Wow, another quick update. I'm so motivated, the chapters keep coming. The next chapter will be quick as well. It's already done; all I have to do is revise it. Thanks for the awesome reviews;D They help motivate me to keep writing.

Disclaimer: Same as usual.

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Chapter Thirty Seven

Episode Twenty Eight, Part 2

Divulgence, Meta Knight's POV

When I had awoke, Jigglypuff was not present in the room. Usually she stayed upstairs, most of the time, trying to wake me up. Sometimes, I can be a deep sleeper as she had pointed out a month after we first met. When I last gazed down at her, resting against my side, I could erase her tortured expression from my memory. Could she still be experiencing the same nightmares for the last month?

Though as haunting nightmares can be, I never heard of one to persist for a month. If she was experiencing the same dreams. My concern for her well being grows everyday. I wish she would tell me what was bothering her. Her past, I can fully understand, that being a sensitive subject as the war is to me, but for something like a dream, why would she not tell anyone? My expanding apprehension twisted my stomach into knots and I knew for certain, I would not be able to hold down any food without becoming sick.

I searched the halls for Jigglypuff after I finished making my bed. Inside, I felt lifeless, like the void of depression had possessed my body, mind and spirit. I wandered the hallways, walking past Smashers in search of Jigglypuff. My cape was so tightly wrapped around myself, it hurt, but I didn't care. My pain for the possibility of losing Jigglypuff was greater. How could I not have realized how I felt about her before I first asked her out? As I made my way downstairs, I knew for certain I fell in love; an emotion I feared, yet desired.

I hurried past the training room, to the elevator and took a peek into the crowded cafeteria. Jigglypuff's seat at her usual table was vacant. It immediately dawned upon me she was no where to be found in the Smash Mansion. An idea suddenly filled me with one last thread of hope. She usually went to the garden when she was troubled. I ignored the looks of concern sent my way as I ran out the main doors, cape still wrapped around my body in my tense grasp. I released it, only to see a small bruise on both of my arms. I headed toward the garden, my heart beating fast from anxiety. Jigglypuff could not have disappeared...I refuse to believe that possibility.

I arrived at the garden a minute later, my face hot from the humidity from the intense heat. I searched the garden, fear striking my heart like a stab when I found it vacant. There was no trace of Jigglypuff here anywhere and by now, I knew this was her favourite spot to spend time by herself. I sat down under a tree in the shade, eyes glowing grey. She could not truly be gone.

When my eyes closed, I could picture her beautiful face smiling at me, her soft giggle echoing in my thoughts. It sounded so real, I looked around to see if she was here, but...I stood up, my cape becoming wings. I glided in the blue, cloudless skies, hoping to see her below but by the time afternoon had settled in, I felt dejected and hopeless. As I was flying downwards I overheard a conversation, but not intentionally.

"Did you see Jigglypuff today?"

"No, I didn't see her since last night."

"I think she's missing. No one can find her anywhere. We've searched all morning and she hasn't turned up yet."

"We should speak to the Master Hand about this. Everyone's worried."

When I heard the doors closed, I landed on the ground and collapsed, vision blurry. I felt dizzy and sick to my stomach. I tried to stand but my body wouldn't comply with my demands and continued to lie on the ground. I felt alone. The only one I cared for to disappear...should I have told Jigglypuff I loved her? Was it my fault she had vanished or did it involve the nightmares? Should I have told someone?

I felt myself being lifted off the ground but I was too depressed to protest and instead, I lay limply in their grasp. I could hear footsteps but my mind was too absorbed in my thoughts of Jigglypuff that it did not matter to me. When I finally opened my eyes, I found myself in the lounge on sofa with everyone else, most of them looking concerned. My still-grey eyes glanced from one face to the other. Everyone was talking about Jigglypuff's disappearance.

"He's all right," was all I could distinguish among the whispers of the crowd. I looked down, self conscious everyone in the room was looking at me.

"Meta Knight," someone said from beside me. I immediately recognized the voice. "...What happened?"

I never saw Marth so serious before. "I do not know..."

Marth was about to speak up when Link cut in. "Meta Knight, you do know Jigglypuff has gone missing, right? When we couldn't find you, we thought you had gone too. Where were you?"

"I knew Jigglypuff had gone missing," I replied, careful not to let her real name slip past my lips. "I spent all morning trying to find her, but I...failed."

"You could have told us earlier. We could have helped you."

"I do not need help from anyone. I am fine on my own and always will be." I stood up and turned to leave the room when a question froze me in place.

"Where did you get those bruises?" I looked at my arms and found the bruises much worse than when I saw them last. They were a dark shade of burgundy, tinted with black; the same colour as my demon blood. My expression was full of worry behind the mask. No one needed to know where they came from...my punishment for failing to protect Jigglypuff. I was...not strong enough, and if I was, I would have found out what had been bothering her so much.

"I was careless," I said, without looking back.

As I left everyone to stand there confused, I walked down the hallway, feeling lifeless, like a part of my heart from torn out from my body. It would have been normal to feel sorrow but I just could not. I couldn't feel anything at the moment, a trait of being a demon. If I experienced extreme sadness or anger, my sense of touch, the ability to feel anything became nonexistent.

I sat down in the hallway, eyes grey. The cape tightly wrapped around myself, I leaned against the wall in a lone corner, sighing. Most likely my arms would be bruised again in different places but now I felt nothing, no pain, no hurt. I drifted to sleep and when I regained consciousness, I was surrounded in darkness. Everyone must already be in bed. I stood up, the ability to feel returning to me again. My arms did indeed have a couple more bruises.

I wondered out the front doors, grateful I had the ability to see in the dark. After reaching my destination, the garden, I sat down, picking a red rose and inhaling the scent. So much similar to Jigglypuff's. I sighed. I missed her so much. A day without Jigglypuff is nearly unendurable.

Holding the rose in my hand, I whispered softly, "I am worried about you Purin. Why did you leave? I believe it is my fault you are not here and I apologize deeply. I should have told you earlier, though it is too late now. I love you. I loved you more than anything. It is forbidden for a demon to feel love and because of that, I was too afraid to tell you. If I did, I feared I wouldn't be strong enough to protect you or not to let my demon side take over my control.

The last thing I ever wanted was for you to be hurt. When you are hurt, I am sad too. I wanted you to be happy, not to live a life of abuse any longer. You never felt comfortable voicing your past aloud and neither am I. My experiences in the war and being a monster made to kill the innocent was not something I wished to voice to others. I should have trusted you Purin. I should have known you'd understand. All I did was hide the truth from you and I am deeply sorry.

You lived a horrible life before you came to Super Smash Brothers. I tried as best as I could to make the experience positive for you, knowing you suffered in the past. For so long, before I asked you out, I fell in love with you. My heart yearned for us to be together, but is that too much to ask for?" My eyes burned as I continued speaking softly to the rose as if it was Jigglypuff. "I knew you did not want to talk about your past, but the dreams...If something was bothering you, I would have listened. I-I'm so sorry...I wish you would come back. Where have you gone? Everyone's been worrying about you severely, even the villains. All I could ever wish for was to spend my life at your side. Purin, I love you."

My throat tightened when I realized I meant every word I said. I was shocked to feel my eyes burning with tears. I rarely ever shed any tears; at most a couple times but never an outburst. No one would ever know of anything I said. Life would go on as normal, whatever normal may be with Jigglypuff gone. I reached for my mask and removed it from my face, setting it down on the ground beside me. I hated my face dearly but now, I needed it off, the metal feeling somewhat uncomfortable at the moment.

"Meta Knight..."

I whirled around, the voice sounding so much like...Jigglypuff?! I sat up, turning to see if it really was her at the garden with me. It was no illusion. It was her after all. Happier than I could describe, I hugged her tightly, eyes burning again out of joy. She hugged me back, clearly longing for me as I was for her.

"Meta Knight, I am so sorry for worrying everyone like that...but there was something I had to deal with." She looked me in the eye with a look of agony I never saw before. "My dreams...were about your demon side. I wanted to get away from everyone else and attempt to reason with him."

"You were trying to reason with a dream?"

"They were real Meta Knight. Your demon side was trying so hard to persuade me to turn against you, but I refused. Nothing would ever change my mind of how I felt about you." She shifted awkwardly as if she was longing to tell me something but was hesitating. "Meta Knight, I heard everything you said earlier, just a few minutes ago."

I stared at her for a moment before I realized what she was referring to. My mouth hung open, my cheeks immediately flaming scarlet. "Y-You did?"

She nodded, leaning against my side. "I heard every word." Our faces were only an inch apart. I could feel her breath against my warm skin. "Your face is so cute Meta Knight. All this time, you looked so similar to Kirby, but...you're much more adorable."

I blushed deeply at her unexpected words. I forgot completely my mask was off my face. Again, I was careless.

"About what you said earlier..." She embraced me in a secure grasp. I was too surprised to speak. "I'm glad you understand. I was never angry at you for being quiet. That was you, the one I care for."

I smiled, finally finding my voice. "Thank you Purin...I..."

"I love you too Meta Knight," she replied. "I have loved you for a long time, but I was too scared to tell you. I don't care if you're a demon. You will always be you, no matter what. You're the most important one in my heart ever."

As I was about to open my mouth to respond, her mouth was over mine, lips on lips. Her smooth, wondrous lips caressed my own, sending a wave of butterflies in my stomach. My arms wrapped around her body, travelling to her face in gentle strokes. This was unlike anything I could ever experience in my life. I openly showed my feelings for her, as I kissed along her cheek and jaw and back to her lips again.

I was not aware of my surroundings; both of us only focused on each other. I knew we both had a lot of explaining to do tomorrow but that could wait. Our first romantic moment took higher priority. Maybe tomorrow I could find the strength within myself to tell her about my past.

And as I kissed Jigglypuff again, I promised to myself that was what I was going to do.