Author's Note: This chapter contains graphic depictions of limb growth.


"Meta! METAA-AAHHH!"

Meta Knight had nearly spilled the piping hot tea he was drinking when Kirby's pain-filled screams echoed across the castle in the middle of the night. Quickly gathering back his composure, he set the cup down and hurriedly made his way to the room where his student was resting, not caring that his mask was off.

Even with the dim light that was illuminating the room, Meta Knight could see what was going on clearly. The teen was writhing in agony, blood running down his back in burning crimson rivulets down his skin and onto the sheets beneath him. His paws were desperately clawing at the sheets to channel his pain to something, and his eyes were clenched shut with tears running down his fever-reddened face.

Meta Knight felt his heart jump at the sight, and he was at his student's side in an instant. "Kirby, you need to breathe. Take deep breaths," his voice didn't seem to make it to Kirby, as his squirming and loud cries of pain didn't seem to let up even a little. Meta Knight looked around for a moment before he grabbed his student's paws, which gripped him so harshly that it almost hurt. "Kirby, listen to me," he made sure to keep eye contact with Kirby as he stared at him, his screaming fading to short, labored breaths as he stared into his silver eyes. "I know you're in a lot of pain right now-"

"-Ithurtsmakeitstop…" Kirby interrupted, his face beginning to grow pale as the pain was making him nauseated. "Meta, i-it hurts…"

"I know, Kirby. You need to take deep breaths. Breathe in."

Kirby tried his hardest to inhale as deeply as he could, which ended in him letting out another loud, ear piercing screech as his body convulsed and twitched in agony. Two small stubs were poking out of his back at this point, blood flowing freely from the wounds that they had created.

Meta Knight remained calm, however. He inwardly cringed a bit when the two stubs twitched, making a bit more blood come out of the wounds in Kirby's back. The sheets beneath him were getting soaked in the hot, red liquid. He was happy he had only used old, unneeded sheets for Kirby to lay in. "You're doing great, Kirby. I can see the wings. It's going to be okay."

Kirby closed his eyes, panting heavily. The pain he was feeling was so unbearable, it was as if someone was taking a dull, burning blade and slowly carving it into his back. This kind of pain was near unmeasurable, and he knew he was going to lose the food he had eaten earlier from the overwhelming amount of suffering he felt. "M-Meta… I-I'm gonna throw up…!"

Meta Knight quickly got up and grabbed a bucket he had left in the room for this very reason, making sure Kirby had his face in it before looking away, hearing Kirby's retching as he threw up into the bucket.

It was at that moment, when he heard a familiar voice calling from the door.

"Sir Meta Knight! What's going on?!" it was Fumu, and she sounded terrified. "Open up!"

Meta Knight let out an exasperated sigh, making sure Kirby had finished throwing up before setting the bucket aside. "Kirby, Fumu is here, do you want to see her?" He asked gently as his student trembled violently.

Kirby nodded, his eyes half-closed and his breathing deep and heavy. "Fumu," he rasped, groaning loudly as his back twitched and shuddered again.

Meta Knight quickly left the room, grabbing his mask and putting it back on his face before opening the door to his quarters, being met with a horrified looking Fumu and an exhausted looking Bun.

"Sir Meta Knight, I can hear Kirby screaming, what the heck is happening in there?!" Even though she was panicked, she looked exhausted as well, her long blonde hair loose and covering her shoulders and upper arms in a long, tangled mess.

"Is it the thing Sword and Blade told us about…?" Bun asked tiredly, still seeming to be half asleep. "Kirby's growing wings or something?"

"Yes, Bun. I'll let you two in, but I want both of you to remain calm when you see Kirby. There's quite a bit of blood-"

"Blood?!" Despite now being nearly an adult, Fumu still had a bad habit of panicking when it wasn't necessary. It didn't help that the sight of blood horrified her.

"Sis, please don't shout…" Bun mumbled, rubbing his eyes beneath his hair.

"I will explain Kirby's Winging if you quiet down and calm yourself," the elder put a finger in front of his face to shush them. "The last thing Kirby needs is people panicking and making noise around him. Do you understand?"

The two nodded their heads, and Fumu looked away, flustered.

"Good. Sword and Blade are on the midnight patrol, and should be arriving back shortly. Come in." Meta Knight quietly let the two into his quarters before shutting the door behind them. "I want you two to understand that the Winging process is extremely painful-"

"A-AAHHHH!" Kirby let out another agonized screech from in the room he was in, making all three of them flinch heavily.

"-so there will be quite a lot of screaming."

"I'm so sorry, Sir!" Fumu fiddled with her hair anxiously. "I knew something was off with Kirby a few days ago, but I've been so busy getting the school ready and I didn't have time to ask you about anything-"

Meta Knight gently raised a paw as a gesture for Fumu to calm herself. "That is very alright, Fumu. We know what is going on now, and we are prepared. That is what matters. Kirby will be alright, I assure you."

Fumu's face was pale already, and she looked to be immensely concerned for Kirby. "Y-you said there was a lot of blood… Kirby's not in danger, is he? From losing too much blood?"

Meta Knight shook his head, leading the siblings to the room Kirby was in. "Kirby has a lot more blood than it seems, given his rather small size. It will look like a lot that has been spilt, but Kirby's far from being in danger of losing too much, so please don't panic when you see the mess."

Kirby looked at his friends as they entered the room. He was short of breath and his face was covered in tears. "H-hi…" He breathed, his voice weary.

Fumu couldn't help but let out a gasp at the sight of the bloody mess that was Kirby's back, quickly making her way towards his bedside and kneeling so she was at eye level with him. "Kirby, I-I'm so sorry I haven't been able to see you in a few days… are you okay…?" She asked softly, trying her hardest to remain calm and quiet.

"N-no… but I will be…" Kirby murmured, grunting loudly when his back twitched. "It hurts a lot, Fumu…"

"I know, Kirby… is this what was bothering you these past few days…?"

Kirby nodded, looking behind Fumu as Bun and Meta Knight also came to his bedside. "Hey, Bun…"

"You look hella roughed up, Kirby," Bun said as he knelt beside his sister.

"Y-yeah… it hurts a lot…"

"Sir Meta Knight, how long does this process usually take?" Fumu asked, looking at the elder knight worriedly. "Is this why Kirby had gotten sick?"

"Kirby's body has been preparing for the Winging for almost a week, which explains why he was acting so strangely, yes. The actual growth, however, can take anywhere between seven to ten hours."

"Seven to ten hours…?" Kirby choked out, obviously not happy with that number. "Oh, sweet merciless Nova, I'm gonna die…"

"I wouldn't go as far as to say you'll die, but you'll certainly be weakened. You will also need a few days to recover and rest, as you're already rather ill." Meta Knight looked over to Fumu and Bun. "I hope you two understand Kirby won't be in good shape for a while."

"I think so," Bun replied, nodding his head.

Fumu was about to say something, but before she could, Kirby suddenly convulsed violently, letting out yet another scream which rang and echoed throughout the castle walls. "Kirby?!"

"His wings are coming out further," Meta Knight urged the siblings to move away before grabbing Kirby's paws with his own. "Okay, Kirby. I want you to channel your pain to me." His soothing voice seemed to calm Kirby down a bit, as he had stopped screaming and was just breathing very heavily with some sobs mixed in. "When another wave of pain comes, squeeze my paws as hard as you can. Channeling the pain will help a little. Do you understand?"

Kirby nodded, fresh tears streaming down his face. "It hurts," he wheezed, gripping his mentor's paws for dear life as his back twitched. "It hurts so bad…"

"I know, Kirby. Try to distract yourself… think of something to distract you. Imagine yourself flying, okay? Tell me all about it. You're high in the air, the wind against your face…"

Kirby seemed to have gotten lost in the thought of flying, his eyes slowly drifting shut as he mumbled to himself about what it may feel like to truly fly. Despite the excruciating pain he certainly felt, the distraction seemed to be working.

When another wave of pain hit his student, Meta Knight grunted when Kirby's grip on his paws got very tight, much tighter than he anticipated. He gazed at Kirby's back as the stubs started getting longer, blood pulsing through the new, unfamiliar limbs."You're doing great, Kirby," he murmured, sighing inwardly in relief when Kirby's death grip loosened a bit.

Fumu looked over at Bun, who was looking down at his feet. "You alright, Bun?" She asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He nodded, yawning a bit. "Yeah… just tired. This is all so sudden, Kirby growing wings and bleeding like that. You think he'll be okay?" It wasn't like Bun to show concern like this, but when when Kirby cried out in pain again he grew a more typical smirk. He snickered and said, "It's almost like childbirth, don't ya think?"

"Ugh! Don't be so immature, Bun!" Fumu snapped, rolling her eyes at her brother. "If Sir Meta Knight says Kirby will be okay, I think we should believe him." She shifted her gaze over to the knight, who was still gently soothing Kirby with unheard words and letting the teen squeeze his paws with all his might when waves of pain hit him.

It showed just how much Meta Knight cared for Kirby. Fumu had noticed years ago that Meta Knight was slowly getting softer when he wasn't sparring with Kirby. She had noticed the two of them partake in various activities together, such as large puzzles, playing cards, or simply just talking, and she knew that he had been teaching Kirby more about speaking and the world around him when she wasn't able. Meta Knight wanted the world to see him as cold and stoic, but Fumu could see past the facade. Perhaps Meta Knight had finally felt like he could relax after the defeat of Nightmare; and because of that, his bond with Kirby was stronger than ever. Maybe-

Fumu was pushed out of her thoughts when someone started banging on the door to Meta Knight's quarters.

"Meta Knight! Get your behind out here and explain to me what all the screaming is about!" The shouting, of course, belonged to King Dedede. While the large penguin king had mellowed out a considerable amount since the fall of Nightmare, he still found it amusing to get into Kirby's business whenever possible, and this was no exception.

"Your majesty, Meta Knight needs his privacy!" That was Sword, it seemed that he and Blade had tried to keep the king away, but failed.

"No, I can hear Kirby in there! What's going on in there, Meta Knight?!"

Meta Knight shook his head, looking over at Fumu and Bun. "I will go see what His Majesty wants. You two keep an eye on Kirby."

The siblings nodded silently as the irritated knight let go of Kirby and left the room. He opened the door to his quarters, being met with the royal penguin himself.

"About time ya got here! I heard Kirby's screaming and I want to know what it's all about! How's a king supposed to get his sleep with all this racket?!" King Dedede crossed his arms, impatiently awaiting Meta Knight's explanation.

"Sire, what's going on with Kirby is none of your concern."

"Anything that happens in my castle is my business! Now tell me what's going on with-"

Kirby's piercing screams echoed across the walls again, and Meta Knight gave King Dedede an irritated glare.

"Your highness, with all due respect, I wish to keep what's happening to Kirby between him and those important to him. One would think that after all these years you would give the poor child a break."

King Dedede swallowed nervously at Meta Knight's rather angry tone of voice. An angry Meta Knight was definitely not a good Meta Knight. "Of course I'm giving the kid a break! Can't you see I've left him alone for months?! I just wanna know why he's screaming like that!" He defended himself, puffing his chest in indignation.

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out. Now, Kirby needs my support, so if you would kindly stop wasting my time, I would appreciate it. Sword, Blade."

"Y-yes, sir?" They both looked at their mentor, who gestured for them to come in.

Meta Knight let his students in, giving King Dedede another curt glare. "My patience is running thin, sire, so I would advise that you go back to bed and stay out of Kirby's business for a change." Without waiting for the king to respond, Meta Knight shut the door in his face with enough force for a rather loud slam to echo across the apartment.

Kirby gave his mentor a look as he came back in, a small smirk on his face as he breathlessly chuckled. "You showed him," he rasped tiredly, rather amused.

"There's only so much patience I have, Kirby. You have priority over the king's needs at the moment. He can say he's changed all he wants." Meta Knight sighed, standing in front of Kirby once again. "How are you feeling?"

"Like death."

"I assumed so," he couldn't help but chuckle a little at Kirby's bluntness, his eyes flashing a soft pink. "Do you think you can stay still while I clean you up? Your back is a mess."

Kirby nodded silently, closing his eyes and sighing in relief that the horrid pain he had felt had somewhat faded. "Meta… the pain is going away…"

"That means that the start of your Winging is complete. However, the pain will come back very soon, so you need to be ready." Meta Knight looked over at Fumu and Bun, who looked utterly exhausted. "You two. If you're tired, I suggest you go back to your apartment and rest while Kirby has quieted down."

"But Kirby…" Fumu yawned, despite trying very hard to hide it. "I don't want to leave him like this…"

"Fumu, it's okay," Kirby mumbled quietly, opening his eyes back up and giving her a faint smile. "I'll be fine…"

Fumu hesitated before nodding, looking at her brother, who looked ready to pass out himself. "Come on, Bun." She gave Kirby one last concerned look before walking out of the room and out of Meta Knight's quarters with her brother close behind.

As the two walked down the now silent halls of the castle towards their own apartment, Fumu began to think about Kirby and his wings. From what she had seen of the growth, they definitely weren't insect or fairy wings. What kind would they be, though? Despite her exhaustion, she couldn't help but wonder if Kirby would be okay without her.

Kirby is strong, Fumu thought, opening the door to the apartment she and her brother lived in. He is growing up. He doesn't always need me… I need to remember that. I just hope that he'll be okay without me being there for him.


"It's okay, Kirby. Just take deep breaths…"

Many hours had passed, and the sun was slowly crawling up the horizon. Meta Knight didn't leave Kirby's side during those hours, calmly soothing the teen as his screams slowly turned to hoarse, feeble whimpers. Kirby had screamed so much that he had lost his voice.

Kirby stared at his mentor, his eyes half-closed and glazed over in exhaustion. He was too weak to even keep his eyes open at this point, his grip on the sheets beneath him very loose. "Tired," came a breathless word without a voice from Kirby's lips. The new limbs attached to his back had twitched continuously as they grew, the process finally slowing down as small, thin and white needle-like pins grew out of them.

"Kirby, your wings. They're growing feathers," Meta Knight murmured, rubbing Kirby's warm forehead as the teen groaned in response.

"Feels weird…" Kirby mumbled, his voice hoarse and weak. "Like needles…"

"Feathers always start out like that. As soon as your body adjusts to the wings and you're more comfortable, I can help you with caring for them."

Kirby nodded, groaning again as his wings made one final push towards growth, before sweet relief began to wash over him. He let his face bury itself in the pillow he was given, his tired muscles finally relaxing. "Meta… is it finally over…?" He asked after a while, gazing up at the elder with exhausted eyes.

Meta Knight inspected the wings, taking notice that many pins still needed to grow, particularly towards the base of the wings. Despite that, however, it looked like they were done growing. "I believe so, Kirby."

Kirby couldn't help but smile, weakly trying to sit up. "M-Meta, I wanna see 'em…" He groaned when his body protested his movements, his arms giving out and his face landing on the pillow with a soft thump. "Mmmnnnnhhh…" He moaned irritably, his voice muffled from the pillow.

Meta Knight chuckled a bit, helping Kirby lay in a more comfortable position. "You can see your wings after you rest. They're not very appealing to look at anyway without the feathers being fully grown."

Kirby nodded tiredly, his azure eyes brightening as he thought about his wings. "Meta… am I gonna learn how to fly…?" He asked softly, a faint smile on his face.

"Of course you will. I will teach you how to fly as soon as possible. But you'll need a while to recover, and give your wings time to develop further and grow feathers. Just rest, for now. You've earned it."

The teen nodded, his eyes slowly drifting shut as his exhaustion finally caught up to him, his paws and newly grown wings eventually going limp as he fell asleep.

As Kirby's soft, faint breathing filled the room, Meta Knight shifted his gaze over to Kirby's wings, which lay splayed out against his sides.

Something was definitely off about them, Meta Knight knew that for sure. It was then that the elder noticed just how small they were. Even without feathers, the wings were abnormally small, and that greatly concerned the knight. They would have to be much larger than that in order to lift one's body off the ground. Meta Knight knew from experience that the size of the wings definitely mattered.

Despite those concerns, Meta Knight was relieved that Kirby's Winging had gone relatively smoothly, even though the sheets he was laying in were a complete mess.

I'll make sure Kirby gets a bath after he's rested. I'm sure that he'll be starving once he wakes up, too. His first wave of feathers are coming in quickly, too… there will be quite a lot to do.

He looked back down at Kirby's peaceful face, feeling his forehead and sighing in relief when he noticed that the teen's fever was finally breaking.

It was then that Meta Knight felt something, as though someone or something was watching them. It felt dark and heavy, making the elder narrow his eyes and lift his head. He looked around, his shoulders heavily tensing up as the presence he felt suddenly vanished. What was that…? He continued to look around the room, trying to figure out what he had felt and why. After a while, he slowly looked back down at Kirby, forcing himself to relax.

Whatever it was he had felt at that moment, Meta Knight hoped he had only imagined it.