Author's note:
This story takes place between chapters 9 and 10 of Dreamland on the Glittering Star, so read up to chapter 9 to get full context for everything that happened beforehand. It's also why Ledo is speaking somewhat fluently, but still not 100% there.
Dreamland on the Glittering Star: The Ghost Ship
It started with a regular day at the Orange Ocean main base owned by the Meta-Knights. The young ensign, Ledo had been doing maintenance work on the base as he had been ordered to. Long story short, this was a punishment for his actions a few days before. Currently he was on his last job of the day, weapon maintenance. Honestly, he probably would have been finished earlier and it would have been a bit easier if he currently wasn't being watched over.
"Ok, kid, after this batch you can call it a day." Axe Knight said while pushing a crate containing different types of swords, some of which the young man had never seen before. Why Meta Knight had so many swords when he primarily uses Galaxia, he didn't know. Though considering who Meta Knight is, it really isn't that surprising.
"Understood, Axe Knight..." Ledo replied, slightly exhausted from all the prior work.
"Are you sure we shouldn't help him?" Kirby, who was there partly for training and partly wanting to hang out with Ledo, asked with clear concern for his friend. "That would defeat the purpose of his punishment." Axe Knight replied.
Ledo added with a nod. "It fine, Kirby. Should be done soon."
The pink puff only gave a sigh and an annoyed pout as he laid on top of one of the completed boxes. "Mmmmfff..." he groaned before turning over. "Nnnnnnngh..."
Ledo only looked back at him for a brief moment before returning to work.
There was then a moment of silence before Kirby suddenly shouted "AHHHHHH THIS IS SO STUPID!" while slamming on the box he was laying on.
"Hey, stop that! You're going to break that thing and hurt yourself if you keep doing that!" Blade Knight scolded him.
"Sorry." Ledo said.
"What are you apologizing for? You're just doing your job." Sword Knight commented with a shrug.
Kirby only flipped back over and stared at the knights with a pout on his face.
"Don't look at us like that. You should know very well that this crew is organized so we can keep everything running as smoothly as possible. If one person doesn't do their job, then the whole thing falls apart."
"But you're only having one person do work!"
"That's a different matter, but it fits the same regardless. If you work on a ship, everyone must contribute to the effort."
The pink puff only continued to blink at him, as if he is experiencing pure boredom.
"Oh, will you quit being a drama queen? He won't take that long." The regular maintenance worker, Archer Kibble spoke up. "Besides, don't you know what will happen if the whole system falls apart when we're in action? Everyone will likely starve, and the rotting conditions will consume all until the entire crew is gone and the vessel becomes a ghost ship."
Kirby perked up a bit upon hearing that. "A ghost ship?!"
Archer gave a nod before taking a sip from a box of apple juice. "Yup, and if you don't believe me, listen to this story." Her tone sounded dark upon saying that. "The story you are about to hear is a true one."
The moment she uttered that; all attention seemed to turn to her. While Ledo himself didn't look in her direction, he was indeed listening to what she was saying.
"One day, a group of fishermen were on one of the Orange Ocean islands, doing what you'd expect fishermen to do. Then, out of nowhere, a thick fog appeared, making it impossible to see anything. Then, the strangest thing happened."
"Stranger than the fog!?"
"Yes, Kirby, stranger than the fog. Anyway, the group came across an abandoned ship that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Against their better judgment, they decided to journey inside. They thought that maybe they could find some abandoned treasure. What they got was more than they bargained for. Soon after they entered the ship, they were attacked by random objects. Chairs, pipes, the kitchen sink, you name it. It was almost as if the ship itself was alive, trying to get rid of the invaders. The group of fishermen got out as fast as they could, not wanting to join the ghosts that lived there. Once they left though, the ship disappeared, like it was never there to begin with."
"Ahhhh! That's so spooky!" Kirby exclaimed.
"You sure the ship wasn't actually abandoned, and someone was tossing things because there was a group of intruders on board their ship?" Sword Knight asked, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, it gets worse. A few days later, two of the fishermen went back to the very same island. The same thick fog rolled in again and the abandoned ship came back. The fishermen were still curious about the ship and if it really did have treasures, so they went back on the ship. While they trekked through the ship, they were still attacked by various items like last time. However, curiosity got the better of them and they continued forth. As they travelled throughout the ship, they noticed some strange things about it. The first thing was that there appeared to be no one there. The second thing was that all of the doors on the ship were open. Finally, it was that one room had food on the table, but it had dried and rotted away."
"Those monsters! How could they waste such perfectly good food?!"
"Don't interrupt. So, at this point, the two fishermen were spooked, and they just wanted to leave. But it was then that they saw a shadow passing from the corner of their eyes. "No way! Could there really be a ghost!?" one of the fishermen said. And then..."
As Archer Blade continued to wax prose about this supposed ghost ship, Ledo, who had just finished his weapon maintenance duties, was curious about one thing as he was reading the translation of her story.
"Chamber, what's a "ghost"?"
"That word does not exist in any standard Alliance dictionary."
Hearing that made the young man slightly confused. "It doesn't exist? So, it's unique to this planet?"
"That is a possibility. Conjecture: based on the information revealed so far, it may be a living organism."
"...a living organism, you say?"
Considering the other strange creatures and phenomena he learned about Dreamland that would make quite a lot of sense.
"...and that was when they saw bloody footprints! They were so scared that they couldn't move! That was, until, they heard two knocks on one of the windows. Without thinking, they turned around to look at it. And what they saw there was something which no mortal should ever have gazed upon. Something that sent them into the deepest abyss known as insanity, leaving behind every last bit of sanity they had left. It was something so horrifying that even Nova would turn away from it in horror. You see, what they saw was..."
Suddenly, the sun behind the group was blocked, causing everyone in the area except for Ledo and Archer to scream and run in terror. As for them, they only looked back to see that it was only Chamber.
"Heh heh heh! Ya big scaredy pink lump!"
Kirby, who had been hugging Ledo in fear at this point, looked at the speaker with a tearful pout on his face.
"Dedede! You big meanie!" he shouted.
This was slightly confusing to the ensign, as he believed that Chamber was the one who technically scared him.
"But enougha that! I heard missy ovah there saying somethin' 'bout abandoned treasure! Somethin' like that belongs in my vault!" he proclaimed with a big grin on his face.
"What are you doing here?" Ledo questioned, only to get his hair tousled by the king.
"HA! Like I need a reason to be here! I'm the king an' I go where I want!"
"He also wanted to check up on Ledo." A second voice next to him added, clearly belonging to Bandana Dee.
"Hey now, Bandana! You can't just say stuff like that!"
It was then he noticed that everyone was looking at him. The king cleared his throat and then continued to speak.
"Anyway, you said it's in Orange Ocean, right?" He questioned the storyteller.
"That's what I said, yeah." Archer replied, sipping out of a juice pouch.
"Then that settles it! Bandana, we're off to claim some treasure! Oh, an' the rest of y'all are free to join us!" He then stared directly at Kirby with the smuggest grin Ledo ever saw. "Unless, of course, you're too scared to come!" He finished mischievously.
"I'm not scared of no ghost, Dedede, and I'll prove it!" Kirby declared with another childish pout.
"Chamber, let's go as well." Ledo said to his mecha companion.
"Query: For what purpose, Ensign Ledo?"
"I'm curious about these, 'ghosts' things. I'd also like to know more about this ship Archer talked about. It can prove to be a worthwhile learning experience at least."
"There is nothing wrong in that statement. Very well, Ensign, I shall accompany you."
Nodding in acknowledgement, Dedede turned to the rest of the group. "Alright, now that the pink lump, princess, and the tin can are coming, anyone else?"
"No thanks. I just tell these stories; I don't want to live through one." Archer replied. Axe, Sword, and Blade also shook their heads collectively, as if they were siding with the maintenance worker.
"Alrighty then. Now, let's go!" The king shouted as the group began to head off.
Unbeknownst to everyone else, the entire conversation was overheard by Captain Vul, who knew exactly what this so-called "ghost ship" really was.
"I guess I should bring this up to him." Vul sighed, not particularly looking forward to the coming conversation with his superior.
After receiving notes from Archer on the location of the island where the story originated from, the group travelled there. It took a bit of time before the fog arrived and swallowed up the island. It was then that the group was able to see the ship in the distance. After everyone got in Chamber, they landed on the ship and exited. The thick fog gave the ship an eerie feeling. Not only that, but the ship was also quite larger than what they were expecting. While they couldn't see the entire ship due to the heavy fog, it was easy to tell that it was far bigger than any average ship.
"Well, we're here. Come on, the bigger the chest the bigger the treasure!" Dedede said, his intentions clear to everyone.
"Ah! Wait for me, your majesty!" Bandana yelled out, running after the monarch.
"Chamber, can you keep a look out in case something suspicious happens?"
"Affirmative. Good luck, Ensign."
Ledo nodded his head and then looked at his pink friend. "Shall we go?"
"Yeah! Let's go, how bad can it be?" Kirby said nervously, but still determined to go through with this.
They began to walk towards another door, with the pink puff closely tailing Ledo.
The inside of the ship smelled of mold, rust, oil, metal, and several other things the duo could not pick out. Even with the flashlight they brought along, their path could only be lighted so much due to the thick fog that even made its way into the ship's inner corridors. But all of that was not what was particularly unnerving. It was the silence of everything that made Kirby shiver. He could hear nothing but their footsteps as they walked throughout the area. Out of nervousness and instinct, he continued to stay close to Ledo, who had his pistol out and ready. At one point, they arrived at a particularly long hallway. The only reason the puff could tell that it was long was the presence of nothing but fog at the far side of the building. It was at this moment that Kirby finally mustered up enough courage to call out.
"Is... is anyone here?!" There was a moment of silence.
"Hey, Ledo, you call out, too." The puff whispered to him.
"Anyone home? Somebody? Anybody!" The duo received no response.
"...that do?" The young man looked down at his puffball friend, who nodded. "Will ghost show up if I call, too?"
"Ahhh! Ledo! Don't call a ghost!" The child panicked a bit, causing his friend to tilt his head a bit.
"Are ghosts enemies? Should I intercept?"
"No! No! Just don't do anything!"
"Got it." The two began to make their way down the hallway.
A few minutes after the group landed on the abandoned ship, a second group arrived as well. This particular group consisted of Meta Knight and Captain Vul. While the knight was strangely more quiet than usual, Vul's expression was a mix of urgency and melancholy.
"This is definitely it; I can tell just by looking at it." Vul said, scanning over the ship.
"Agreed, now there's only one question remaining: Why has it returned? Come, we might find the answer we seek inside."
His subordinate gave a nod. "Understood. Here sir, I grabbed a flashlight before we left." He tossed towards his superior, who immediately caught it.
"Thank you, Vul. Though won't you need one as well?"
"Nah, I'll be fine. It's not the best, but I have night vision. I can easily see what's in front of me."
In silent understanding, Meta Knight turned towards the ship and began walking towards it. "Very well, let's go."
As the duo began their investigation, they were slightly startled by a familiar AI voice. "Lord Meta Knight, query: what are you doing here?"
The knight looked next to him to notice that it was the Machine Caliber Chamber. "Hello, Chamber. I simply heard about this supposed ghost ship and decided to investigate it with Vul."
"Answer acknowledged. Shall I alert Ensign Ledo?"
"That won't be necessary. I'll explain things to him once I come across him."
"Affirmative."
With this confirmation, they continued on with their investigation and headed inside the ship.
Meanwhile, Kirby and Ledo were in another part of the ship. So far, they hadn't seen many signs that people lived here. Not only that, but the further into the depths they climbed, the darker it became. Not only that, but the echoing of their footsteps only continued to make the puff feel more uneasy. He wanted to try calling out again but couldn't muster up enough courage to. He then noticed something. It appeared that Ledo was looking at the structure of the ship. Did he find something?
"Kirby, what are ghosts?" Ledo suddenly asked, causing his friend to jump a bit due to how quiet it had been before.
"Hm? You mean you've never heard of ghosts, Ledo?" The puff turned to him with curiosity.
"No. Chamber said word not in Alliance dictionary."
The child tilted his head a bit. "Well... I'm not too knowledgeable but I can tell you what I know at least." Kirby cleared his throat. "Well, um... from what I was told... ghosts are the souls of people who have gone to sleep for a really long time."
Even Ledo understood immediately what Kirby meant by "sleep".
"For one reason or another, those spirits remain here instead of going to what Meta Knight calls the "afterlife". I don't really know much about that either, but he says I shouldn't worry about it."
"Chamber, what is "afterlife"?"
"That word does not exist in any standard Alliance dictionary."
"...must only exist on this planet then." He seemed to shrug before turning back to Kirby.
"Do you know why ghosts cannot go to this "afterlife"?"
"Hmmm..." The puff seemed to be thinking hard about this question. "Oh, I think Meta Knight said it's because they have unfinished business in this life and can't pass on until it's complete."
"What kind of unfinished business?" Ledo asked, sounding slightly more curious.
"Well, I guess it depends on the ghost. I've heard a lot of stories about them from Meta Knight and Bio Spark." Kirby replied, not too sure on how to answer the question.
"It... depends, huh?"
Ledo couldn't help but think about the war currently going on in his original universe. If ghosts existed, would his fellow soldiers of the Galactic Alliance be among them? This train of thought led him to Meta Knight. Perhaps next time he saw his superior, he could ask more about ghosts.
Suddenly he felt a tug pull him out of his thoughts. "Come on Ledo, let's catch up with Dedede. Hopefully he hasn't found the treasure yet."
Meanwhile, the king and his subordinate were searching in another part of the ship and having about the same amount of luck as Kirby and Ledo when it came to finding anything.
"Where's that damn treasure!?" Dedede yelled out after exploring another empty room.
"Calm down, your highness." Bandana said, exiting the room across from him. "...I'm starting to think that there might not be any treasure on this ship." He received a glare from the king in response.
"What? Ya think that missy was lyin'? Ugh... if she really did pull one on us, I don't give a damn what momma said 'bout not hitting a lady, Imma slug her good!" Dedede crossed his arms and grumbled.
"Well, to be fair to her, she never actually said there was any treasure. Just that people came here to look for treasure." Bandana said nervously, afraid of angering his king any further.
"You mean to tell me that I've been wasting my time walkin' 'round here all 'cause of a misunderstanding!?" Dedede said, clearly getting angrier.
"Well... not necessarily, there could still be something here, so please calm down your majesty." Bandana managed to squeak out. That seemed to cause the king to calm down, if only for a tiny amount.
"Ok, fine, I'll try." Dedede spat out.
Then he noticed Kirby walking into one of the rooms the king had already explored. That room was a dead-end, nothing of note to look at or interact with. This lit up a lightbulb in the king's head.
"Yo, Bandana. I think I know how to relieve some stress." Dedede said with a devious smile. He then pulled out a white sheet from his robe.
"Your majesty, why do you have that on you?"
"That's simple, I found it in one of the abandoned bedrooms."
"But why?" "You'll see in a moment; now, do you have a black marker?"
"Um...yes, sir." Bandana handed over the marker he carries in case something needs to be written down.
"Excellent! Now a little bit here an' a little bit here and presto! We have ourselves a ghost costume!" With a slight chuckle, the king put the sheet over his head and sneaked over to the room as quietly as he possibly could. He creeped slowly to the door and peeked inside, expecting a frightened Kirby to be looking back at him. However, he was shocked by what he saw. "Huh?! The pink lump's gone?!"
Just as he uttered that, he dodged a laser that had been shooting at his feet with a scream. When Dedede turned around and pulled the sheet off his eyes, he saw that Ledo was standing across from him, holding his pistol at the ready.
"...Dedede?" The young man questioned.
"Whaddya think you're doing, princess! Ya coulda seriously hurt me, ya know!"
"Ah...sorry."
It was at that point when Dedede got a certain chill down his spine. He turned back around slowly to see the ghost-like form of Kirby standing there.
"AAAGHHHHHH! IT'S A GHOST! THE PINK LUMP'S A GHOST!" the king screamed, hiding behind Ledo. It took him a moment to realize this might be another Copy Ability.
"Kirby, how are you... ghost? Are still awake, right?" The young man asked, genuinely confused at this ability he's never seen before.
"Oh, don't worry, Ledo! I'm just copying the abilities of a ghost! I'm not actually a ghost!"
There was a moment of pause, as if the young man needed to process what he was told. "So, you are a ghost, but not really a ghost?"
"That's correct!"
"He'll be a real ghost right after I'm done with him!" The angry Dedede declared as he shoved the ensign aside and swung his hammer at Kirby... only to miss completely.
"Silly Dedede, ghosts are immune to hammers!" The puff teased.
"Why is Kirby using ghost?" Ledo suddenly asked.
"Oh, I thought if there were really ghosts on this ship, they would have an easier time communicating with a ghost!" The puff exclaimed cheerfully.
The young man didn't see any failure in that logic.
"You stupid pink lump! How dare you scare me!" Dedede shouted, pointing at him.
"It serves you right! You tried to scare me first!" Kirby replied with a pout.
"Oh yeah, well I bet the only reason you came here was 'cuz you didn't want people seein' you as a scaredy cat!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Uh-huh! I saw how scared you got with Archer's story!"
"It wasn't the story; it was Chamber's shadow!"
"My apologies." The AI spoke.
The duo only continued to fight as Ledo and Bandana watched, unsure of how to break it up.
"Sheesh, they sure know how to make a racket, don't they? If ghosts did exist, they'd be swarmed by now." Vul stated in annoyance as he searched a massive closet.
"You act as if ghosts don't exist, Vul." Meta Knight said, receiving a look of surprise from his subordinate.
"Wait a minute, don't tell me you actually believe in ghosts." he said in disbelief.
"Well, of course. In a galaxy where creatures like Dark Matter exist, it should be assumed that things like ghosts would exist as well."
This made his subordinate think for a moment. "Hmm... well, when you put it that way, I suppose so." Vul conceded.
The knight closed one of the drawers and headed towards the door to the room.
"That and I've seen ghosts myself." Meta Knight added.
His second-in-command seemed to shudder a bit when he heard that. "Please, now. You must be joking. Right? Right?"
Without another word, Meta Knight simply kept walking, causing Vul to become a tad paranoid as a result.
Eventually after Bandana Dee was able to stop the argument between Kirby and Dedede, the group found a door that was significantly more reinforced than any other door they had encountered before. Even with all the rust from age, it didn't look like opening it would be an easy task. Ledo tried to push it open with all his might, but it just wouldn't budge. Just as he was about to use his pistol to try and melt an opening into it, he was stopped.
"Move over princess, just leave it to me!" Dedede declared, readying his hammer.
One strike. Nothing. Two strikes, a slight budge. With one final bash the door was opened. Well more accurately, it was knocked down.
"Phew, with a door that tough, there's gotta be treasure inside!"
The king rushed into the inside of the room with the others following suit. However, what awaited them was the biggest room in the ship. It was covered in a lot of rust and debris and the group didn't know what to think the moment they laid their eyes upon it.
"Come on! There's gotta be treasure around here somewhere!" Dedede shouted.
As they were walking around, Ledo began to notice that there was something oddly familiar about this place. He had a vague feeling that he was in a similar place to this, but just couldn't put a finger on it. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of their footsteps as they walked around the room. Occasionally, they would stop to check the doors they came across but would find nothing. Eventually, they reached the center of the room. There was something massive on the pedestal on the center.
"Huh? What's this thing? Ya think it's treasure?" Dedede questioned, staring intently.
"Maybe...?" Bandana seemed to shrug as he squinted closely.
Kirby and Ledo continued to stare at the object, trying to figure out what it is.
"I mean, it's gotta be, why else would this room be secured with a door like that?" The king uttered.
"...wait, I think I've seen this layout somewhere before."
"Oh, what would you know about ship layouts, you stupid pink lump?! This is clearly some kind of vault!"
"I don't think that's it, Dedede."
"Then what do you think it is?"
"This is a reactor room."
There was a moment of silence.
"A reactor... room?" the king asked, sounding surprised at that response.
"Yup, a reactor room. That's probably why the door was so secure."
"SO, I CAME HERE FOR NOTHING?!"
"Ahhhh...great king, please calm down!"
"HOW CAN I CALM DOWN WHY I JUST WASTED ALL OF MY TIME ON THIS DUMB SHIP WHEN I COULDA BEEN AT HOME ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING I ACTUALLY LIKED AND-!" As the king broke out into a fit of shouting, Ledo took a closer look at the reactor room.
When he first entered the room, he did note that there was something familiar about it, but it wasn't until now that he was fully able to piece together what exactly it reminded him of.
"Everyone. I..." Ledo suddenly spoke up, cutting off Dedede's rant and gaining everyone's attention.
"I'm not entirely sure, but..." He paused for a moment to figure out the words for what he wanted to say. "I think... I know what this ship actually is." This further caught the attention of everyone in the room.
"You do, Ledo? Is it a ship from your world?" Kirby asked, notably curious.
"No... not that. I think... this ship is actually-"
Before he could finish his sentence, the young man was interrupted by loud noise that echoed across the whole ship.
"Did you need to slam the door like that Vul?" Meta Knight asked, mildly annoyed at the noise that was made.
"Sorry, sir. I think I'm starting to lose my patience. We've yet to find any clue as to why this thing's back. Ships don't just rise up from the bottom of the ocean, you know."
The knight gave a slight laugh in reply. "Well, Dreamland is a land of infinite possibilities, Vul." He continued as they made their way out of the room and into the hallway. "The illogical is logical on this planet. Besides, we still have one more room to check."
After a short walk down the hallway, they came across another room. However, this room was different, as it was locked with a keypad. Meta Knight hesitated for a moment before tapping a few numbers into the keypad, causing the door to open.
"...I didn't think I would still remember the passcode." He uttered and entered the room.
As Vul began to investigate the vestiges of life and evidence of days gone by, the knight felt that there was something familiar about this room to the point where he simply stood inside and took in how it looked.
"Sir, is something wrong?" Vul suddenly asked.
Without another word, Meta Knight walked over to a nightstand placed at the side of the room and opened the drawer.
"It's as I thought... this room is the captain's quarters." He uttered and took out a framed photo from the drawer. The second-in-command joined his superior in looking at the photo.
"Honestly, I'm surprised there's no water damage on it..." The picture was a simple one, taken on the deck of the ship they were sailing on, the subjects of the image being Meta Knight and Vul themselves.
"...that's the photo Kurabe took, isn't it?" Vul said, receiving a nod in response.
The knight looked at the room.
"That means this ship is..."
It was several years ago, not too long after the Star Rod incident had taken place.
"You want to make a what?" Vul asked, surprised at Meta Knight's request.
"An airship." The knight repeated back, receiving a slight shrug in response.
"Well, I know that, but why? We already have a spacecraft. A few of them, I think. I don't really see the point in making an airship."
"Our spacecrafts only have one purpose: traveling from planet to planet. That's not what an airship is for. I have plans for Dreamland, and an essential part of those plans is an airship, capable of conquering over anything that gets in our way."
Vul could only really stare in shock, as he was not expecting such a lengthy explanation from his usually quiet superior. However, the way he said it with such conviction inspired the avian to take action.
"Alright, then. Let's make the strongest ship to ever travel the skies." He replied with a grin.
With that said, they began to work for several days. Not long after his initial proposal, Meta Knight presented his subordinate with a hand drawn blueprint to serve as a rough basis for the final design. While it was overall a great design, there was one thing about it that was...off about it.
Vul scratched his head. "You want the front of the ship to look like your mask?"
"Yes, is that an issue, Vul?" His superior asked in the most dead-serious tone the avian had ever heard.
"Well...no, not really. It's just a bit tacky if you ask me." He was somewhat hesitant to give that reply, as he would more than likely anger the puff.
However, he was just given a calm response. "There's nothing tacky about it. One look at it and any enemy would fear for their lives."
Not wanting to argue, Vul agreed to the idea.
The construction of the ship continued to go smoothly. Thanks to both Meta Knight and Vul's natural talent with mechanics, it was simple matter and the work progressed quickly. Five days into construction and the base of the ship was now almost finished.
"So, boss, have you decided on a name for it yet? Not like we can just keep calling it "the ship", you know."
Meta Knight looked up from his work for a moment and paused before replying. "After careful consideration, I decided on the name, Voulge."
The second-in-command raised an eyebrow at that. "Voulge, sir?"
"It's a type of polearm. A weapon with long reach and capable of devastating damage, if used properly. I believe a name like that suits our ship just fine."
Vul mulled over that explanation for a minute before nodding. "A fine name for a fine ship, sir."
The knight turned and went back to work. But based on the aura he was giving off; the subordinate knew he was in a good mood.
Days continued to pass as Meta Knight and Vul continued work on the now named Voulge, making more and more progress with each day of work. In just a month's time, it was almost complete. There were few setbacks, one instance in particular being the duo trying to find a suitable power source.
One day, Vul came up with a solution. "Those Invincible Candies you always carry around, why don't we try using them?"
At first, Meta Knight was a bit flustered at that statement, but that quickly gave way to uncertainty. He was worried that the candies would be too efficient of an energy generator, based on some previous experiments with them. During those tests, the candies would often cause whatever object they were being used as the generator for to break, including lightbulbs, a radio, and more.
"Ah, yeah, that would be a problem. Eh, but we're just having one single candy power the whole ship. What can one tiny object do to something this massive?"
That was enough to help persuade Meta Knight into using one of the candies as the reactor core.
Not too long after that, and the battleship was complete. Admittedly, both Meta Knight and Vul were equally impressed with how quickly the ship came together. It was the day before the Voulge's test flight when Meta Knight received a message from someone he wasn't expecting. He had been taking a break in the Voulge's captain's quarters when Vul entered.
"Lord Meta Knight, there's a call for you."
This made the knight quite curious as it was rare that he received anything like phone calls or messages nowadays.
"Who is it from?"
"It's Kurabe."
Without another word, he immediately stood up and walked over to where the phone sat. "Redirect the line to here."
"On it."
As Vul ran back down the hallway, he picked up the phone and waited for the call to arrive. In a few minutes, there was a click before he heard a voice.
"Hello, Meta."
As Vul had said, the caller was Kurabe, Meta Knight's mentor.
"Hello, sensei-"
"Kurabe. You can call me Kurabe." She said in a voice that was both gentle and sweet, yet somehow had a dangerous undertone to it. It was enough to make him shudder.
"Yes... well, is there something you want to talk about?"
"I just wanted to check up on my favorite student. How's Dreamland been treating you?"
The knight didn't say it, but he was slightly surprised that she simply called to talk. "Dreamland has been... interesting."
"Interesting in what way? Did you finally find the challenge you've been looking for?" While she did say that in a sweet, yet slightly teasing voice, it continued to have that dangerous feeling to it. He tried to ignore that feeling and continued talking.
"In a way, yes. There's another Star Warrior on this planet, a child named Kirby. His skills need a bit more work, but his potential is unquestionable." Meta Knight said, managing to keep his calm. Hearing all of this surprised Vul quite a bit. Not what was said about Kirby, he already knew that. It was the fact that Meta Knight, who was normally a very quiet person, was now being so talkative. He chalked it up to the knight either greatly respecting Kurabe or fearing her. Perhaps it might be a little of both.
"A child, you say? Tell me, did you lose to a child?"
Meta Knight paused for a moment. "The battle we had was interrupted by outside forces." Was the carefully crafted response he gave.
"He destroyed your mask, didn't he?" She asked in a way so blunt that the knight felt his entire face redden. "Well...not that it matters, I suppose. Keep an eye on that child. If he's able to capture the interest of someone like you, he sounds promising. Now, do you have any plans for Dreamland?"
Hearing that only made Meta Knight confused. "What do you mean sen-Kurabe?"
"Goals. Do you have any goals? Something that you want to work towards."
Ah. That makes sense.
"I want to change the lazy lifestyle of this planet, and I'm currently working on something that will allow me to do just that."
"Interesting." She seemed to hum for a moment. "I'll be visiting you tomorrow then. Goodbye, Meta."
"Wait, hold on-" Before he could say anything else, she hung up. Without another word, the knight then placed the phone on the receiver.
"Vul, we're working extra hard now."
Exhausted after the long hours of performing final checks in preparation for the test flight, Meta Knight only had enough energy to slink into the captain's quarters and lay quietly at his desk. It was quiet, except for the faint sounds of the engine keeping the power running and the sea outside. He began to feel tired, and the sounds started to lull him to sleep. There was something strangely soothing and familiar about this place. It was a warm feeling and the longer he laid there, the more he began to realize what this feeling was.
"It feels like...home..."
That was the last thought he had before sleep took hold of him.
The next day, Kurabe had arrived at the Orange Ocean base just as she said she would. There was a bit of tense silence as they walked to where the ship was kept. Meta Knight didn't say it, but he knew that his mentor was observing his base and silently judging him for it. It made him a bit more careful about his actions than usual. Eventually they made it to where the ship was.
Kurabe looked up at it and was quiet for a moment before finally speaking. "So, this is what you've been working on, Meta? I must say, I'm mildly impressed." She then gave a slight shrug. "Though you were always good with a tool kit, I suppose."
The knight couldn't help but feel a surge of pride when he heard that. "Yes, this is the Voulge. She's an airship that will rule the skies of Dreamland." He replied with a fiery passion in his voice.
"Oh? You've never been interested in ruling anything before, Meta. In fact, you've always loathed royalty. What exactly happened to give you this mind set?" She asked with a silently judging stare. It was one that the knight had seen several times before. One that said, "if I don't like what I hear, I will take action.".
With confidence, Meta Knight stared back and replied "Not too long ago, this planet was plagued by the being known as Nightmare. If Kirby hadn't fought against Nightmare, Dreamland would have been no more, and it would have been due to the incompetency of its ruler and the lazy inhabitants who refuse to act when their land is in danger. While it's true that I've never expressed a desire to rule, but I will if it means guaranteeing this beautiful planet's survival."
Kurabe's eyes softened upon hearing this, impressed by her student's resolve. "Very well then. Would you care to show me around the Voulge then?"
The knight replied with a nod. "As you wish."
As Meta Knight was showing Kurabe around the airship, he noticed that she appeared to be deep in thought. He then noted that her expression wasn't that of her usual silently judging one, but one of genuine concern.
"Is something wrong, se-Kurabe?" he questioned.
"Not exactly. I do have a suggestion for you, though. Make another ship." She said, bluntly.
"What? Why!?" He said, surprised and a bit offended at the proposition.
"Now, don't take what I said the wrong way. This is a very well put together ship, yes, possibly one of the best I have ever seen. However, if you recalled what I taught you, even the toughest of shields can be broken. In the unfortunate event that something horrible happens, you need a backup plan to work with."
Meta Knight paused for a moment to process what he was told before slightly averting his eyes, which had begun to turn fuchsia. "...yes, you're correct. I'll make plans for that just in case."
Kurabe gave a satisfied nod. "Good, now that you understand, follow me. I have a gift for you." As she said that, she pulled out a camera.
Now standing in front of the ship, Kurabe was "suggesting" that she take a picture of Meta Knight and Vul in front of the Voulge to commemorate its completion. Considering that this was his mentor saying this, the knight had no choice but to agree to it or suffer the more than likely painful consequences. Regardless, he still didn't like the idea.
"Must we do this?" Meta Knight said under his breath, just enough so that his teacher wouldn't get offended.
"Oh, come on, boss. It's just a single picture. You act as if it'll steal your soul." Vul grinned while laughing at his superior's discomfort.
"Your friend is right, Meta, and don't mumble, it's rude." His teacher responded, sounding slightly irritated about the comment she heard.
Meta Knight simply sighed and relented.
It only took a moment for the photo to be taken and a short time for the photo to be developed.
"Congratulations on your completion of the Voulge, Meta." Kurabe said as she took the photo and placed it in a special frame.
"Thank you, se-Kurabe." He gave a slight bow as he was handed the picture frame.
"No, I must thank you for allowing me to visit on such a short notice. Good luck, Meta. I'll come visit again at a later point."
The knight appeared to be a bit confused upon hearing that. "Leaving already?" he asked.
"Unfortunately, yes. I have other business to attend to." She replied with a sad smile. He was slightly surprised to hear a lack of her usual dangerous tone, indicating that she lowered her guard.
"I understand. Safe travels, Kurabe." The two shook hands and Kurabe left shortly afterwards.
Not long after that, it was time.
"Vul, get ready for a test flight."
"Yes, sir!"
With those orders, the test flight began. It was 30 minutes into the test, and everything was going smoothly. No major issues were present, until they started to test the ship's weapons. The first to be tested were the turrets, which fired perfectly fine. Then it was time to test the laser cannon. It was at that point things began to go wrong. During the charging up sequence, the reactor exploded, causing all engines to fail and set the Voulge on a crash course towards the ocean below. Acting quickly, Meta Knight grabbed Vul and teleported the both of them to safety outside of the ship. The two watched in solemn silence the ship crashed into the water and began to sink to the bottom of the ocean. The two only stood in silence, shocked by what just happened. Everything was fine a minute ago, but now it was the exact opposite, and all of their hard work was all for naught.
"...what now, sir?" Vul asked, his voice noticeably shaking.
"We move on. We'll create a worthy successor to the Voulge and learn from our mistakes." Meta Knight replied with determination, but it was clear he was saddened by these results.
Meta Knight was broken out of that memory when Vul tapped him on the shoulder.
"Do you think we've succeeded sir?" his subordinate asked.
The knight was quiet, as if he was still sorting out his thoughts. His mind then wandered towards thoughts of the current Halberd and her crew.
"Yes, Vul, I'd say we have." He uttered, eyes turning light blue.
Suddenly, the door to the captain's quarters was broken down, startling them.
"Ah! Meta-sensei! What are you doing here!?"
"...Lord Meta Knight? Captain Vul?"
It was Kirby and Ledo.
"We...can ask you two the same question." the knight asked, a bit startled. That was also a bit of a lie since he and Vul already knew why those two were on the ship.
"We heard a loud noise and came here to investigate!" The pink puff quickly explained.
"...do not understand though. Why are you two here?" The ensign asked.
The knight could only give a slight sigh. "Before I answer that, Ledo, why exactly are you both here?" Meta Knight already knew the reason, but he figured he could use the time to regain his composure.
"Oh, we were told a story about a ghost ship and Dedede dragged us along in hopes of finding treasure." Kirby explained in his usual cheerful way.
"And to learn about ghosts." Ledo added.
"I see." He took a moment to think. "Well, ensign, if you wish, I can tell you more about ghosts."
"Thank you, sir. Would be appreciated." Ledo replied, only to hit him with another unexpected question. "Sir, is this the Halberd?"
The knight fell quiet for a moment. "Well...yes and no. This ship is the Voulge. You could call it the predecessor or prototype of the Halberd. I created it for the same purpose that the Halberd eventually ended up serving."
"What?! You never mentioned that you built another ship, Meta-sensei!" Kirby shouted.
"That's because only Vul and I knew about its existence."
After hearing this, Ledo thought to himself. "That explains why the layout seemed so familiar." But there was something else on his mind. "Why is Voulge here?" he then asked.
Meta Knight fell quiet again. "...I'm not entirely sure."
He wrapped his cape around himself as he turned and looked outside the window. "However, I think I have a theory."
It was at that moment that all attention turned to him.
"...sir?" Vul asked, slightly concerned about his lord.
"In certain cultures, objects, especially those that have been crafted by hand are said to house souls within them. While they cannot exactly move per say, they do have desires that can unknowingly influence the world around them."
"...wait. So, what you're saying is...?" Vul uttered, seemingly shocked about what he was hearing.
"Aye. Perhaps the Voulge wished for us to board it one last time..." he uttered before becoming silent again.
Honestly, Ledo wanted to understand what he was saying, but he just didn't. There was no way an inanimate object could act as if it were alive, at least if they weren't a Machine Caliber. However, the aura of this place felt otherwise. There was a melancholic presence to this place and he could feel it to his core.
"What are you guys standing around here for?!" All tension had been broken by Dedede shouting.
"...wait, what are you doing here, MK?" he then asked.
"I'll explain later..." the knight gave a sigh.
"You better! I wanna get out of this crummy place ASAP! It was a waste of my time to come here! I came expecting treasures and got nothing!"
Meta Knight could only stare in irritation.
"Again, your highness, Archer never said that there was treasure here." Bandana uttered with slight nervousness.
"Imma go give her a piece of my mind then!" the king stomped off angrily as his advisor followed.
"Shall we go back?" Ledo turned to his superiors and Kirby.
"Yeah, I think there's nothing else to see here. It was a lot of fun, though!" Kirby exclaimed cheerfully, receiving a nod from Ledo in response.
"What do you say, milord?" Vul questioned.
"...just head outside. I'll join you in a moment."
With an understanding nod, the group headed out of the captain's quarters. The only one left in the room was Meta Knight himself. He took a look around the room again.
"I was right, wasn't I?" he finally asked, receiving silence in response. "Well...I hope that you can rest in peace now that your desire has been fulfilled. Though it wasn't long, thank you for your service, Voulge."
After another moment of silence, he placed the picture frame in his cape subspace and began walking out of the room. As he began to head towards the front of the ship where the others had headed, he looked out the windows to see sunlight piercing through the fog and leaking into the ship.
He couldn't help but smile.
Hm? Was anyone expecting a very loose adaption of Abandoned Fleet from Gargantia? I think not.
I decided to make this a separate one shot partially so I could have a bit of a break from whatever I was working on. This was before I started to write Only Neat Life, but I think waiting to write until after a chapter as heavy and action packed as Chapter 3 of Only Neat Life was the best option. Hopefully you enjoyed it as well.
I do not own any of the series here.