Chapter 20: Good Morning, Meta

At the suggestion of his second in command and the rest of the crew, Meta Knight had stayed for four more days on the GranEssex for the sake of taking a well-needed break. Even if something happened while he was gone, he was confident that his student would be able to take care of it. Speaking of Kirby, the child was slightly irritated about the fact that his mentor told him so abruptly that he wouldn't be in Dreamland for a few days, but he understood why. Outside of watching Kurabe rake one of her colleagues over the coals for attempting to reject her request for getting extra wellness days, the next few days were quite pleasant and did well to help him recover.

As for today, it was another training day with Kirby, but to his own surprise, Dedede and Bandana joined them. The reason for this became clear when the Waddle Dee pulled out a picnic basket.

"Today is a nice day for a picnic with friends, isn't it?" Kirby said as he finished off another sandwich.

"I ain't your friend, you dumb pink lump! How many times do I gotta tell ya!?" The king shouted.

"The more you deny it the less convincing it is, Dedede." The child taunted playfully.

"What was that!?" Dedede yelled back.

"You heard me! You just denying it makes you more like a sun-dairy!"

"What's a sun-dairy?!"

"I dunno! That's what Knuckle Joe says you are, though!"

Meta Knight stared at the two as they began their normal back and forth. It was strange, he used to find these situations tiresome but now he wasn't quite sure. He certainly didn't like listening to those two yell back and forth, but he didn't necessarily hate it either.

"Excuse me, Meta Knight?"

Bandana Dee spoke up, drawing his attention.

"I'm sorry if this comes off as rude, but you seem more relaxed than you've been before."

"Is that so?" Bandana then nodded.

"Yeah. Usually, you were constantly on edge and seemed like you didn't want to be here."

"Is that a problem? Do you not want me here?" The knight asked.

"No! No! Not at all! I'm happy that you can join us! Just it's a lot different than how you normally are..." The Waddle Dee quickly replied as if he was worried that he had offended him.

"I see."

Meta Knight then turned back away.

"It seems like that short break with my mentor was just what I needed..." He mumbled to himself.

It more than likely was the case. The knight felt a lot more at ease ever since he returned from visiting Kurabe. Whether it was simply because he was overly stressed and needed a break or because her advice brought him reassurance, he wasn't entirely sure.

Suddenly, Meta Knight stood up.

"Ah! Where're you going, Meta-sensei?" Kirby asked, breaking from his fighting with Dedede to ask that question.

"Oi! I was gonna ask ya 'bout your visit with grape lady!" The king shouted, crossing his arms in irritation.

"We can talk more when I get back. I just want to take a bit of a walk." The knight replied, being given a few understanding nods in response.

"Ok, but just so you know, I'm gonna grill ya 'bout your visit! I wanna hear everything 'bout her!"

"Hey, what Meta Knight does is none of your business!"

"Oh keep quiet you tub of pink lard!"

"Big talk for someone who's just a bigger tub of lard!"

Bandana only sighed at this.

Meta Knight didn't really have a set destination, he just wanted to move around as it helped him think. Specifically, his life in Dreamland.

Although he met a majority of his crew off-planet, he still met his ever-helpful assistant, Sailor Dee, here in Dreamland. Not only that, but he also found an amazing child who would ultimately become his student. He found a somewhat idiotic yet headstrong ruler that he could rely on. He met the calm and kind-hearted advisor that was equally as dependable. Not only that, but he met so many more people that simply made living here worth it.

Then there was everything that happened these past couple of years. After everything that had happened, has he really changed? Then he couldn't help but think back to when he first came to Dreamland. Back then, he came seeking a challenge, but ultimately found something better. His first fight with Kirby was the most fun he had in years at that point. Even if he technically lost, it didn't matter much anymore.

Fun... that was something he once believed he couldn't experience, at least not to the amount that he had. Meta Knight let out a small chuckle. Since when did he care about having fun? Well, it wasn't a bad feeling per say. His crew would definitely enjoy seeing him like this.

Speaking of his crew, he could vividly remember the faces of his crew when the Halberd first took flight. That day will always be etched into his memory. That impassioned speech he made before everyone boarded the Halberd, how enthusiastic everyone was to go along with his plan to take over Dreamland, and especially how serious he was about it all. Not only that, but how easily all of it came crashing down because of his own errors and how moved he honestly was at the fact that his crew went out of their way to support him in one of his darkest hours. However, that darkest hour was also one of the biggest turning points of his life. It simply started with him doing something he never had before, comforting another person. Despite being his enemy not too long ago, Meta Knight couldn't just leave the recently hurt Kirby alone. Honestly, that vacant expression he had still haunted him. But either way, that day ended with him gaining the greatest student he could have ever had. Some may consider him a loser for training someone who already defeated him. He honestly didn't care at this point. If he was a loser then he was the strongest loser. A happy loser.

Then there was Daroach, the leader of the Squeaks. He had met him a few times in the past and knew that he had some sort of rivalry with his mentor for the longest time. Once upon a time, he never thought he'd be on good terms with a thief. Due to being a part of The Organization for so long, Meta Knight was sent on many missions to take care of thieves, dealing with the worst of the worst. Needless to say, his opinion of thieves was low, until he met Daroach that is. While he wouldn't consider themselves to be friends, they were at least on good terms. Meta Knight felt like that might be due to Dreamland's influence. A place where one should never judge from just the cover.

He slightly chuckled. It amused him to find out that the actual reason for his mentor's grudge was because the thief had attempted to steal a valuable necklace that the knight had made for her as a gift. Daroach had admitted to slightly losing interest in it after being nearly caught and finding out that information. However, there was still a chance he'd attempt to take it.

Then there was that incident with the Haltmann Works Company and its aftermath. As much as he didn't like to think about it, it was worth a second examination. Arguably one of the worst experiences he has ever had, simply put. It had happened not too long after he made an attempt to strengthen his mind from being brainwashed. Not only that, but it seemed that his increased pain tolerance was used against him. Simply put, he hated it. All of it. After that horrifying incident, a question would constantly come to his mind.

"Is Dreamland making me weak? Could this have been avoided if I never stepped foot in Dreamland?"

For the longest time, he didn't know the answer but now he did. It was an obvious "no". Hypothetically speaking, if Meta Knight stayed a part of his mentor's crew, the Haltmann Works Company would still try mechanizing the galaxy. Not only that, but he would still fight, and he would still have been captured and tortured. The only difference is that he wouldn't have Kirby to help break him out of Susie's control. I mean, Kurabe would have likely been able to break him from that control, but... what if she also fell to the mechanization? No, she probably wouldn't. Or at least he didn't want to think about the "what-ifs" of that scenario. It was already starting to make him sick. One thing he couldn't deny, though, is that all the pain and trauma he experenced afterwards would still be there. Honestly speaking, it still hadn't completely left his mind. If anything, the pain only lessened compared to directly after that incident. Of course, that was only thanks to the support from Kirby and his crew, who had taught him that he didn't have to suffer alone. He just had to set aside his stupid pride and ask for help. It was a bit easier said than done for him, but it was a start.

Speaking of which, during his last physical exam from Bio Gale, he was surprised to hear that almost all of his scars from that incident had completely healed. Well, he seemed to have a small, barely noticeable one next to his right eye, but all the other ones have healed. It was a simple sign to him. The trauma won't go away, but it could be eased. As much as he hated to admit it, that incident might have made him a better person.

During his trip down memory lane, he inevitably recounted all the battles he's had the past few years. Magolor, the Jambastion religion, and Void, though one fight in particular stood out to him: His life-or-death clash with Galacta Knight. The feeling of victory he had was one of the best feelings he'd ever had and being honest he never would have won without the support of everyone in his life. During that fight, he wasn't just trying to stay alive for his own sake but for the sake of his family. Family... yes, that's exactly how he felt about them.

"Family doesn't have to be biological. Anyone you've formed an unbreakable bond with is your family." He recalled his mentor's own words from a time in his childhood during his early days of training where she uttered that while patting him on the head.

Of course, since then his family has grown much larger than just the crew of the GranEssex. Not only that, but it felt... warming to have so much support.

Ah. It seemed like he walked out too far. He should probably head back.

As he got closer to the picnic site Meta Knight realized one final thing. Despite everything thing he's been through, he was proud of his life and would never trade it away for anything. The smiling and welcoming faces of his friends further cemented that.

"Ah! Meta-sensei, how was your walk? Do you feel any better?"

"I don't see why ya needed to go on one. Ya seemed perfectly fine!"

"Hey if Meta-sensei wants to go on a walk, he can. Besides, he did need it!"

"Oh? And what do you know, huh, marshmallow?"

"More than you!" Kirby replied while pouting.

"What was that!?"

The two began to fight yet again.

The knight only gave a slight chuckle in response as Bandana gave another sigh.

"For me at least, this is the only neat life to live."

Wow, there really is nothing left to say but it's finally complete! This is the last chapter!

To start off, I'd like to thank my friend GundamBailey for acting as my beta reader throughout this whole story and supporting me throughout it! Honestly, I don't think this story would be as polished without him.

Second, of all, I'd like to thank everyone who read this story. Seeing all of you enjoying it was extremely encouraging! So I have to thank you all for that! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this! I've got more stories planned for the future, so keep an eye out for that.

Good ol' Guest: Ahhh... honestly, I can't really think of anything else to say but thank you so much for your reviews! Seeing how much I was constantly worried about if Meta Knight was OOC throughout this story, it means a lot to hear that he was actually quite faithful. So thank you so much!