Chapter 1: Unmasked Origins
It was supposed to be another standard-issued mission: Head to a planet known for its high crime rate and eliminate a notable criminal group. What Kurabe wasn't expecting to find was that her target was already eliminated, by, of all things, a child. The child was clearly a Star Warrior just from appearances alone. He was dark blue in color, had piercing white eyes and was wielding a stick with a stone tied to it.
"This gang was a class-A planetary-level threat. Did he seriously defeat all of them by himself?" Kurabe thought to herself as she approached this unknown person.
"My name is Kurabe. I'm with The Organization. I was sent here to deal with this group, but I see you already dealt with them." She said diplomatically.
The child just stared at her.
"I'll need to take you in for questioning. Come along peacefully and-"
Kurabe was cut off as the child dashed at her, swinging his makeshift club. She quickly blocked it with her left sword, Rubis, but was surprised by how powerful the attack was, even being pushed back a bit by the force. Though she noticed one thing: he had very little skill in combat and most of his attacks were slow and sloppy. Still, he had incredible potential. Potential that excited her. Just as she had that thought, her other sword, Grenat, was knocked out of her hand by another blow. Thinking fast, Kurabe quickly traced a rune and teleported behind the child, knocking him out with one quick karate chop to the head.
"I'm sorry, but this was the only way." She whispered as she wrapped the child in her cape and began to carry him back to her battleship.
As she stopped to pick up the sword Grenat, Kurabe noticed he was covered in cuts and bruises. Most likely from the fight with the gang. None of the injuries seemed fatal but they would need to be treated quickly to prevent a potential infection.
"Should I have Bukiset...? No, it would probably be better if I treated him myself..." She thought.
There's no doubt that the child would be intimidated if too many people crowded around him at once, making him much more difficult to deal with.
Soon they reached the ship and was greeted by the GranEssex's vice captain, Mercury.
"Welcome back, captain. How did the mission...go? What's with the kid? Are they alright?" The woman uttered in surprise upon seeing the bundle.
"Outside of a few cuts and bruises, he's fine. Actually, he's the one who eliminated the mission targets, so you can submit it as completed."
Mercury just looked at her in shock, but quickly regained her normal expression. "I'll get the med kit."
"Yes, please do. And take it to my room."
As her subordinate began to leave, Kurabe began to think back on the emotions she felt from the child while fighting and carrying him back. At first glance, it was a mismatch of unsure feelings, but she could now pick out a single one: fear.
"Who would leave a child on a planet like this?" She wondered. She could always ask him when he awoke, but she doubted that would be much help.
Kurabe walked to her room and set the child down in one of her chairs. Mercury quickly arrived with the med kit in hand.
"Do you want me to handle it, Captain?"
"No, I can handle it. Besides, I think having too many people around him will make it more difficult to talk to him."
"Understood, I'll leave you to it then." The woman said and left, leaving Kurabe alone with her thoughts and the child. Quickly she walked over to the sink and filled a bowl with water.
"...alright, first is to clean the area with mild soap and water to prevent infection..." She thought, attempting to recall what she remembered about first aid.
While cleaning him up, Kurabe felt... off for lack of a better term. Why was she so concerned for this child? Sure, she didn't like seeing children hurt, but this was different. Could it be because they were the same species? Her mentor had once told her about how Star Warriors tend to feel a certain closeness to each other. Before she could question that feeling more, the child began to wake up.
"Good morning." Kurabe said as kindly as she could.
The child's eyes widened in fear, likely due to not knowing where he was. Then his eyes focused on Kurabe, and they became sharp again.
"Calm down, there's no need for any of that." She said with a glare, causing the child to loosen up, but still on guard.
"Where am I?" He asked.
Kurabe was caught off guard by his jaded tone.
"A child shouldn't sound like that..." She thought and then cleared her throat.
"You are on my battleship, the GranEssex. I brought you back here to treat your wounds and ask you a few questions."
There was a brief moment of silence.
"And you are?"
"Kurabe. I doubt you've heard me. And what's your name?"
He was hesitant to reply to her for a moment, but then decided to give in.
"...Meta." The child quietly replied.
"Meta..." Kurabe repeated with a slight hum.
"The name suits him..." She thought to herself as she began to put away the med kit.
"What were you doing on this planet, Meta? I sincerely doubt it was by choice." She then asked in a soothing voice.
He gave a questioning gaze towards her. "I live here."
"What about family?" She asked, dreading the obvious answer.
"...what's that?"
"You mean you don't have any parents? Not even a guardian of some kind?"
The child shook his head after thinking for a moment. "...I don't know. I live on my own."
"Then he's an orphan..." She thought with a slight sigh.
"Let's change topics then. Meta, why were you fighting those men and why did you attack me?"
"...they attacked me first and I didn't want to die. And you looked like you would hurt me, too..."
"Well, I wasn't going to."
The child slightly gritted his teeth before speaking. "I've heard that before. My entire life I've struggled to stay alive. Many people have pretended to be kind just to hurt me."
Hearing that broke the warrior's heart. Gently, she took one of his stubs in her hand, as if to comfort him. Then, she removed the visor that covered her eyes, showing a gentle, sympathetic expression.
"I'm sorry to hear that. What about now? Do you feel like I'm threatening now?"
She began to feel a warm, trusting feeling in her hand as he looked at her silently.
"No, but why? I attacked you. Why are you being kind to me? Do you just pity me?"
Admittedly, even Kurabe didn't have an exact answer for that.
"It's because I saw potential in you as a warrior."
"What does that mean?" He asked, all of his previously shown hostility replaced with confusion.
"I am one of the greatest warriors in the galaxy. The fact that you impressed me with your strength says enough."
Despite those words coming out of her mouth, Kurabe knew there was more to it than that. There was this other, alien feeling she was starting to develop, and she didn't know why.
"...I could tell you were powerful when we clashed." Meta admitted. "Stronger than me."
The warrior gave a nod in understanding. "Meta, do you wish to become stronger?"
"I need to become stronger. Living on this planet taught me one thing: only the strongest thrive. That's why I named myself Meta. To be strong and durable like metal."
"But even metal can break and bend without reinforcement, no?" Kurabe responded quickly.
The child became silent upon hearing this, as if acknowledging that she was right.
"And my training would be the reinforcement to your metal."
There was a moment of silence.
"Can... I have time to think, please?" Meta asked, quietly.
Kurabe was pleasantly surprised by the sudden politeness.
"Take as much time as you need to think." She replied with a smile.
Then she heard a slight growl coming from the blue puff, whose cheeks seemed to redden in embarrassment.
"You must be starving. Wait right here." Kurabe said, leaving to grab something for the child to eat.
Meta looked around at the room he was in. It alone was nicer than anything else on this planet. Could he obtain something like this if he stayed with Kurabe?
"Do you like sweets?" The warrior suddenly asked.
Meta looked at her curiously. "Sweets? Is that like jerky?"
"No, it's quite the opposite of jerky, actually. It's... well... try it for yourself." She placed a plate in front of him at the table.
While Kurabe knew it was chocolate fondant, the child clearly had no idea what it was. Meta took a hesitant bite and his eyes widened. It was without a doubt the best thing he'd ever eaten. Almost immediately, he began to scarf down the rest of it quickly... by inhaling it. Kurabe chuckled at this.
"So, I take it you enjoyed it?"
She received an enthusiastic nod in response. Kurabe smiled. Underneath the initial antagonism was a sweet kid, though it pained her to know that such a kid was abandoned in the first place. Maybe... even if he didn't want her to train him, he could still stay here. At least he would be safe on the GranEssex. Then her thoughts turned back to what she was thinking about earlier. Why exactly was she acting like this? While yes, she was interested in Meta's potential as a warrior, but that doesn't explain all of her actions. Usually, she would just drop them into training instead of doing everything she just did.
"Miss Kurabe..." Meta said snapping her out of her thoughts.
"I think I would like to stay here. If that's fine with you..." He uttered, averting his gaze shyly after asking that.
"Of course." She simply replied.
It was then that a thought crossed her mind: did she want to be his mother? No, that can't be it. That's when she noticed something: Meta was crying. However, it wasn't out of sadness, rather it was tears of joy. Acting completely on instinct, Kurabe wrapped him up in a hug.
"...Miss... Kurabe...?" The child uttered in confusion.
"Not "Miss". It's "sensei" … and think of this as me welcoming you into my family."
The blue puff managed to wipe away a few of his tears while in her grip.
"Sensei, is this... what family is?"
"That's something you'll need to decide for yourself, Meta. But, I'd like to try being your family."
The child became silent for a few minutes.
"I don't know what family is but... ok..."
The warrior gave a slight sigh. "To put it simply, a family is a group of people that trusts, supports, and loves each other."
"But what is love?"
Admittedly, Kurabe didn't really know how to answer that at first. How would you explain something as complex as that to a child? That was when she thought of it.
"Love is... something that's different for everyone, Meta. It's not something that can be taught. Only learned in time."
The child only pouted.
"For someone who's really powerful, you're awfully clueless about a lot of things..."
Meta then felt Kurabe tighten her grip and quickly looked at her eyes in response. She was still smiling but her eyes were promising something else. Something very painful.
"What was that, Meta?" She asked in a sweet but deadly tone.
The child shrank back with fear. "N-nothing..."
"That's what I thought." She said, loosening up her grip.
"She's really nice, but she's also really scary when she's angry..." He thought to himself.
For the next few hours, Kurabe showed Meta around her room. While she didn't have many things for the child to play with, there were a lot of things he seemed to be interested in looking at. Her desk. The various photos on the walls. Even the soft, cushiony sofa. But the thing that seemed to interest him the most was the large bookcase.
"It's probably because he never saw anything here on that planet..." She thought as Meta admired the wall of books before immediately pulling him away when he attempted to climb it.
"It's dangerous to climb that, Meta. If you're interested in reading something, I'd be happy to grab it for you."
It hadn't crossed her mind until now. Was he even able to read?
"Meta, not to be rude, but can you read?"
The child shook his head in response. "No. Never learned how, never saw a need for it."
She should've known.
"Would you like to learn how?"
Admittedly, there was probably no real choice in the matter if he wanted to become her student. The Organization wouldn't want an illiterate warrior on the battlefield.
"I'd rather not bother you, sensei."
"You say that, but you want me to teach you, don't you?"
Hearing that made the child avert his eyes as a slight blush appeared on his face.
"Y... yes..." He squeaked.
The warrior gave him a pat on the head.
"We'll start after dinner then."
The child gave a nod in understanding.
As Kurabe began to make dinner, she felt Meta silently watching her from the table. It appeared that he had mellowed out quite a bit since they first arrived on the ship, but his guard still seemed very much up.
"What's wrong?" She asked, getting a slight jump from the child in response. He then said... something. It was more of a mumble than anything.
"Please don't mumble. I can't understand you otherwise." The warrior gave a sigh.
A moment of silence.
"Sensei... what is family to you?" The puff asked.
"This crew for starters. Especially my second in command, Mercury. We've had each other's backs for a long time. Then there's my mentor, who is like a father to me. Even if he's a stubborn old fool. I guess in simple terms, family is the people I refuse to let go of. People I wish to protect."
Meta nodded in understanding. "Then what is love to you?"
"Love is when you'll do anything for the person you love. Regardless of if it's romantic or platonic. You'll understand more when you're older."
Her student then pouted at that. "But how do I know if I feel love? This is really hard..."
"Love is a complicated feeling, Meta, and it's something that just doesn't happen overnight. Trust me, when you feel love you'll know what it is."
After hearing that, the child seemed to understand. Then there was a knock at the door.
"I'll be right back." She said while opening the door. "What is it, Mercury?"
"I just came to check in on you. How's the kid?" The woman asked, looking into the room.
"He's doing fine. In fact, he's my new student." She said with a strange sense of pride.
"What? He agreed to becoming your student already?" She then gave a slight whistle. "That was quick. So, anyway, what's for dinner?"
"Actually, if you don't mind, Mercury, could you-"
"Give you some space? Yeah, I figured. I'll just eat with the Bukisets." The woman gave an understanding nod.
"Thank you." Kurabe replied with a smile.
"No problem. I'll check up on you two later. You two have fun then!"
With that, Mercury walked away.
"Was that the Mercury person you mentioned?" Meta asked.
"Yes, that was her."
"I see." He said, clearly curious about the silver woman.
Kurabe gave a smile. "I'll introduce her to you another time. For now, I should finish making dinner."
The child nodded, excited to see what food she was making. Hopefully, it was as good as what she made for him before.
A half hour later, Kurabe placed a plate in front of Meta.
"Sensei, what is this?" He questioned after sniffing it.
"It's called chicken parmesan."
He then picked up the long noodles on the side and stared at them in curiosity.
"And that's spaghetti. I hope you enjoy it."
She then sat down at the table and began to eat her own plate of food, noting that the child was now staring at her. He then took two of the utensils and began to copy her movements with them to eat. As Kurabe watched Meta eat, she noticed he was on edge, like he was used to being on high alert. While it would be useful for the missions he'll no doubt take, it didn't make it any less sad.
"Meta, you can relax. This ship is incredibly safe, so please relax just a little."
Upon hearing that, the child seemed to understand, as he began to loosen up a bit. Then, to her own surprise, he inhaled the rest of the food on his plate.
"...Meta, I'm glad that you seem to enjoy my cooking, but please use utensils and take your time when you're eating." She said with a sigh.
"...can't you inhale, too, sensei?"
"I can, but I prefer not to. I'll have to teach you about table manners it seems." She said in amusement.
The child nodded and continued to do his best to copy her movements while eating.
Then, he seemed to speak up again. "That red sword you have..."
"Interested in swordplay, are you? Don't you worry, Meta, I'll be teaching you in the art of swordplay."
His eyes instantly lit up upon hearing that. "Really!?"
"Of course. You are my student now. It's my duty to make you as strong as I can. Both in body and mind."
"Thank you so-" The puff cut himself off, as if realizing something.
"Wait, I didn't I say I would think about becoming your student?"
"You agreed to it already, haven't you?" She replied with a slight smirk.
There was silence, as if Meta was thinking about everything that had been said and retracing every conversation. Suddenly, his cheeks began to turn red again in embarrassment.
"Can... can you really teach me about swords, sensei...?" He uttered shyly.
"I won't just teach you about swords. I'll teach you everything."
The child tilted his head in curiosity. "Everything?"
"Everything."
Before he could make a response, she spoke up again. "Well, we should probably make this a formal decision. However, I'll warn you about this now, Meta. My training can get pretty intense. Some of my previous students quit because of it. A few have even died. Are you sure you would like to become my student?"
The child seemed to hesitate.
"Don't worry. You can still live on this ship if you have second thoughts."
After hearing Kurabe say that, he then became quiet once again.
"You said that I'll become even stronger after your training, right?" He asked. "I've lived on this horrible planet long enough. I'm sure that nothing you throw at me can make me quit."
The warrior replied with a chuckle. "Brave words. But something tells me you'll be able to back them up. Well then, Meta, allow me to formally make you a member of my crew. Welcome to your new home."
The child gave a smile, the biggest that Kurabe had ever seen up to this point. "Thank you so much, sensei!"
"You're welcome, Meta." She replied warmly, noticing that Meta was now struggling to stay awake.
"Perhaps we should start our lessons tomorrow. Let me go set up a bed for you."
Seeing a nod, she hopped down from her chair and began to clear off the table.
"I believe we have an open room next to mine. I'll let him stay there..." She mused as she headed towards the room. "It's usually reserved for guests, but I think he can keep it..."
When Kurabe returned, she saw that Meta was already asleep. Not having the heart to wake him, she picked him up and carried him to the bed she set up in the room next to her personal cabin. Though when she tried to walk away after placing him down and pulling a blanket over him, he unconsciously grabbed her.
"Don't want me to leave, do you?" She uttered with a slight chuckle. "Alright then, I guess I'll stay here with you for a bit."
Kurabe removed her eye visor and laid down in bed with Meta, making sure not to disturb him.
"Good night, little knight."
There was no verbal response, but the quiet, satisfied sigh was all she needed to hear as the child leaned closer to her.
A short time later, Mercury was looking for her superior. She was slightly worried due to not finding her in her personal cabin like she said she would be. Then, she noted the extra room positioned close to said cabin. It looked like the door was unlocked.
"Hey, captain, are you in here?" She asked quietly while opening the door.
The only thing Mercury could hear was the soft breathing of the sleeping Kurabe and Meta. Opening the door a bit more, she noticed that the child was curled up close to her superior, who had laid an arm over him as if to reassure and protect him. At first, Mercury was surprised at this scene. But then, she gave a slight smile.
"Never in a million years would I think that she of all people would have something like a motherly instinct..."
Quickly, she grabbed an extra blanket from the closet and laid it over them with a slightly excited humming.
"Things are definitely going to get more interesting around here..."
The start of a new story, and it's mostly OC focused. I thought it'd also be a good way to look into Meta Knight's past, at least in the world I've been building for the Kirby Universe. It was also because I wanted to write more stories about Kurabe and Mercury.
I also HEAVILY recommend checking out the AO3 version of this story, since that version has illustrations, since I wanted to go for a light novel style for this.