Sorry about the delay in this chapter. I had to rewrite some parts of it. I will have to update the spanish version with the changes later.
Nightmare's patience had a limit, and that beast had long since overcome it.
When he had sent his demon beasts after the Star Rod's fragment thieves, he had given them a limited amount of time before ordering them to return. Due to how the events had transpired, he had not been able to complete the last step in his demon beast creation process. He was worried that a prolonged exposure to the world would awaken in them some kind of emotion that would lead them to rebel against him.
His concerns had proven true earlier than expected: one of the beasts had ignored the order. Any attempt to communicate with it had resulted in a simple response: "I have already located them, so give me a chance to fulfill my purpose."
And he didn't even get a response on his last attempt to communicate with it.
"This is what happens when you give a heart to your tools: they rebel against you," Nightmare growled as he furiously corrupted the core of one of his beasts, which screeched in pain. "I told you, Lucilius, one hundred times that you shouldn't create life forms with emotional capacity. But no, mister know-it-all believed that if the life invoked by a god was capable of feeling emotions, his creations weren't going to be inferior. Now I have to remove that 'heart' manually, wasting my precious time. Are you happy in whatever hell you're rotting in?" he asked even if he knew he wouldn't get an answer.
But the rogue demon beast was not his only worry. He had discovered that his plan was not flawless. There were a considerable number of individuals with resistance to his powers, and oddly enough, many of them had a connection to the Singularity. Although nightmares still tormented them every night, their minds weren't going to be that easy to break. The number of armed forces had also increased since the time of the war, and the Sky Realm's weaponry had also evolved. And that was not all: many primal beasts now protected the skydwellers of the islands they inhabited instead of serving the Astrals by default. Sure, none of those things could actually hurt him, but they could destroy everything else he had worked on. And he hated seeing his hard work destroyed.
As it turned out, there were more pieces on the other side of the chessboard than he had anticipated, albeit most of them were just pawns. He needed to update his strategy before his next move. If he was too careless, even if it seemed like he was winning, everything he had planned could crumble at the least expected moment. He had made the mistake of underestimating a world and its inhabitants before, and he had paid the price with his life. He wasn't going to let that happen a second time.
"I think the most ideal move would be asserting my complete control over this island and its inhabitants. That way, I can feast on their fear while also taking a big number of hostages. I can even use the strongest ones for labor," Nightmare decided. "As for the allies of the Singularity, I just need to keep them too busy fighting my beasts to come into their help. Divide and conquer."
The only thing he still had no idea of how to deal with were the heroes of Dreamland. They were an unpredictable variable. The knight had been torn on his side for centuries, the king had become someone able to face him without any trace of fear, and the hero was a natural repelent to the negativity and despair he was trying to spread. He needed to find a way to take them out of the picture.
Once he was done planning and removing the hearts of his creations, he ordered two of them to bring back the roge one, using force if necessary. Then, he decided to take a well-deserved rest in the dream world after hours of work.
"I should check on Oneiros. With the punishment that she has received for her betrayal, she should be more collaborative," the villain decided once he appeared in the dream gallery. If his creation had truly suffered so much during the war, being forced to relive those painful memories would surely had taken a toll on her will.
And so, the villain entered the dream in which he had imprisoned his creation. But, instead of the bloody scene of the great war he had created to torment her, she was sitting in the middle of a flower-filled meadow, drinking tea. Without looking at him, she noticed his presence and said:
"Finally you deign to pay me a visit."
The dream world revealed Oneiros' true form. She looked a bit older, though she was still young. A pompous low-cut black dress with a long semi-transparent flare decorated with stars replaced her usual pajamas, and a matching hat had replaced her bow. Red flowers sprouted from the beast's back, and instead of legs, under her dress there was a bed in the shape of a flower. Nightmare didn't remember what was he thinking about when he designed her, as she looked vastly different from his later creations.
When Oneiros was fighting or stressed, her face would appear hollow like a porcelain doll that had had its face ripped off. And that was how Nightmare had expected to find her. However, in that moment the primal beast face's was the same as her human form with an expression of unruffled calm. The only proof that Oneiros was her prisoner was a shackle on the beast's right hand.
That only could meant a thing: even if she couldn't break the curse and escape on her own, Oneiros still had control over her own dreams.
Oneiros let out an annoyed moan when she noticed how Nightmare was just standing there, looking at her without uttering a word.
"Are you going to join me or what?" she invited him rudely.
Nightmare advanced towards her, making sure to wilt the flowers in his path. Oneiros arched an eyebrow, as a sign that she was not impressed by that crude attempt to ruin her dream. The flowers soon bloomed again, much to Nightmare's annoyance.
"This meadow was my favourite place in the Sky Realm. I found it after the war, and my most deluded side once hoped to someday be able to share it with my father and my brother," the primal beast told him, her voice full of nostalgia. "Now, this place only exists in my dreams."
With a movement of her hand, the meadow of flowers was replaced by a bustling village.
"Time erased it as well as my hopes of ever seeing them again."
Nightmare hadn't missed how Oneiros was now referring to her father as if he wasn't there, but he refrained from commenting on it.
"The offer still stands," the former Astral said instead. "If you join me, we can once more become the family your heart wishes. As I said, I have big plans for you, and I'm sure you will enjoy them."
"Nice try, but I won't believe a word that comes out of your mouth," Oneiros flatly refused. "You may have been my creator, but it's clear that you are no longer my father. Besides, I already have a family. I was hoping to introduce my father to them someday."
Oneiros raised her hand once more. The village was replaced by what looked like an Astral warship's gallery. It had been converted into some kind of bar. Oneiros, in her human form, was accompanied by the manifestation she had created in the image of her missing brother and by... Nightmare grimaced as he recognized his former form in the illusion summoned by the beast.
"Look, Ladiva! This is my father!" the Oneiros of the illusion happily exclaimed. "He disappeared many years ago, but he's finally back! He is a scientist, so I'm sure he will get along with Cagliostro. Also, since he is an Astral, he will be able to help Gran and Djeeta reach Estalucia!"
The real Oneiros clenched her fist in rage, the illusion exploding into hundreds of light particles. The dream became an empty white space, like a canvas waiting to be painted on.
"Naive. Foolish. Childish," she insulted herself. "I always have to learn everything the hard way. My father died in that explosion,though I sometimes doubt he ever existed. Perhaps it was just the mask that an Astral scientist wore to manipulate me," she added, glancing at Nightmare.
"If you expect an answer from me, you won't get it," Nightmare blunty replied. "As I said, I lost many of my memories that day. But I can agree with you in something: my old self, that Astral scientist, is indeed dead."
"If I could, I would kill you," Oneiros said abruptly, startling Nightmare. No one had ever dared to threaten him in such a way on his own domain. "You have also noticed, haven't you? We are equals here. Your dreams and nightmares have no effect on me, just as mine have no effect on you," the primal beast explained. "Otherwise, you would have burned as soon as you entered here. What a shame. I guess all I can do is wait for someone to come and save me, just like the princesses in the stories you used to tell me."
"Did I use to tell you stories?" Nightmare asked, confused. Had he really been such a sappy person once?
"Maybe yes, maybe not," Oneiros answered, with a mischievous smile. "Are you suddenly interested in the past you left behind?"
"Not at all. The things I forgot were those that didn't matter to me after all," Nightmare laughed dryly.
"And yet you remember everything about those who affronted you," his creation accused him.
"Hatred lasts longer than love."
"Only for those with a weak heart," Oneiros refuted.
"Those skydwellers are filling your head with nonsense," Nightmare grumbled upon hearing that answer. He remembered that his primal beast being a cruel creature. When did she become so soft?
"The one who wants to conquer the universe spoke of nonsense," Oneiros mocked his ambitions.
"You will never understand what I truly desire, ungrateful child," Nightmare snapped.
"Enlighten me then, oh great wise being of darkness," his creation continued mocking him.
"Laugh now, Oneiros. But when your false family falls hopelessly before me, you will beg me to accept you again," he evilly threatened her.
Oneiros, on the other hand, gave him a confident look and replied:
"Go ahead and try it. You will be the one who falls."
_-º-_-º
The King of Dreamland stood triumphant over the imposter.
It had all begun about half an hour prior. It was Sandalphon's turn to watch the hut's surroundings, but when Dedede noticed the Supreme Archangel's discomfort, the king told him to go watch another area and spread his wings. The penguin was feeling well enough to look after Morphe and the sleeping Phoebe on his own. Nonetheless, Sandalphon had decided to stay close to the resort and patrol the area from the air.
During one of his laps, the angel had scouted Dedede, who was strangely standing in the middle of the beach, as if waiting for something or someone. Upon seeing the King of Dreamland in that place, Sandalphon realised that something was not right. He knew that he had left Dedede in the hut and that the penguin's red coat was not yet dry. Furthermore, when attempting to detect the king's aura, he discovered that it was in two places at the same time, which was impossible.
Unless one of the Dededes was fake, and it wasn't hard to figure out which one.
The angel flew back to the hut to check that, indeed, Dedede was there too. After telling him what had happened, both came to the same conclusion: the imposter was a demon beast attempting to lure someone by impersonating Dedede. And Dedede knew that there were only two people who could be looking for him at the moment.
"I'm coming with you," Dedede said when Sandalphon was about to leave to hunt down the beast. He carried one of his hammers in his hands. "I don't know what that beast is after, but I'll be dammed if I let it hurt anyone using my face."
"I don't think you've recovered enough to fight. Besides, who will take care of Morphe and Phoebe?" Sandalphon initially refused.
"We will be fine. I will make sure that no one notices the two of us being here," Morphe stated. "Besides, if my sister is already imprisoned in the dream world, I doubt Nightmare is interested in her body. If he wants anything from us, it should be the shards of the Star Rod," he added, staring at the angel.
Although Dedede claimed that only he had access to the pocket dimension of his coat, they didn't want to risk that garment being lost or stolen, and with it the possibility of restoring the only weapon capable of killing their current enemy. So while the coat was drying, Sandalphon would keep them safe.
Realizing that he wasn't going to dissuade his companions, Sandalphon agreed to let Dedede accompany him on his hunt for the creature. Locating it would not be difficult: the angel only had to follow the duplicated aura of the king of Dreamland.
It only took them a few minutes to find the being, who was attacking Kirby in a nearby wooded area. Dedede furiously descended upon the creature, hitting it hard and interrupting what seemed to be a boring monologue worthy of a children's cartoon villain.
"I found you, faker!" the true Dedede mocked the demon beast.
"Dedede!" Kirby exclaimed, his eyes brimming with joy. The real Dedede smiled from side to side at his fated rival before saying:
"Nice to see you, little menace."
The pink puffball jumped into the king's arms, pushing him back and knocking him off the demon beast. The hammer fell from the penguin's hands.
"Are you okay, poyo? I heard that you had been injured. What happened? Did you get in trouble? By the way, do you know anything about Bandee?" Kirby bombarded his friend with questions.
"Hey, calm down Kirby. I'll tell you everything when we deal with..." Dedede began to say, but he was rudely interrumped when demon beast charged at them.
Dedede put Kirby aside and used his arms to stop the beast's attack before slamming it into the ground. Just as the beast stood up, the king retrieved his hammer. The imposter tried several times to use its strange tentacle as a whip, but Dedede easily blocked each slash with his hammer, moving closer to it with each movement. When the beast realised the penguin was too close, it was too late: Dedede struck it in the stomach with his hammer. The blow sent the beast flying into a tree, just as it had done to Kirby earlier.
The demon beast rose again, only to be met with Dedede's menacing gaze. The imposter at that point that it couldn't win the battle. So it did the only thing it knew it could do.
It fled.
"Hey, don't run away, you coward!" the king shouted at the beast as he and Kirby started to chase it.
But the chase didn't last long. The demon beast suddenly stopped in his tracks when the edge of a sword was pointed at its face.
"You again," the creature grumbled, frustrated, as it recognised the person holding the sword.
"So it's actually you," Sandalphon realised. The eyes of the fake Dedede were identical to those of fake Lucifer's. "You aren't a copy of Lucifer, but a shapeshifter."
Before the monster could make any attempt to flee, the angel used his elemental power to trap it.
"Did you catch it, Sandal?" the king of Dreamland asked.
"Yes. He's not going anywhere," the angel confirmed.
The Dedede-like demon beast struggled to free itself from Sandalphon's elemental seal, but it was useless.
"Sandal...Ah, you're Sandalphon, the friend of Gran, Djeeta, Vyrn and Lyria!" Kirby exclaimed when he recognised the name. "I'm sorry. Lyria and I ate your cream puffs," the puffball apologised, his words stunning the angel.
"But there were a hundred of them...Well, that doesn't matter right now," Sandalphon said, shaking his head. He then turned to look at Dedede. "You were correct: your friend is already travelling with the captains. They must be around here too," he said.
"Yes, we arrived a while ago, poyo" confirmed the puffball.
"I hope they aren't too mad at me for leaving without telling them," Sandalphon sighed. "Anyway, I'm glad to finally meet you, Kirby," the angel greeted, extending a hand to the hero of Dreamland. Kirby shook it enthusiastically. "Dedede has told us a lot about you, although I didn't expect you to be so young. Wait, are you telling me that a child defeated all those terrible things you claim to have faced?!" he exclaimed in disbelief, turning to Dedede, who just nodded in confirmation.
Sandalphon then began to study Kirby. There was something in his aura that reminded him of Gran and Djeeta. Something that had also been present in certain Astral he and the captains had fought in the past. But, at the same time, it felt a little different from those.
"Kirby, are you by chance a Singularity?" the angel questioned the puffball.
"A what?" Dedede said.
"Isn't that Gran and Djeeta's nickname, poyo?" Kirby asked, confused.
"No, it isn't," Saldalphon denied. "Has nobody told you?"
"Well, I think Wilnas and his other dragon friend argued about it, but I didn't understand a thing," Kirby replied.
"Of course the six dragons would stick their noses into this..." Sandalphon grumbled. "Zooey and I were so focused on chasing Nightmare that we didn't notice your arrival."
Dedede was about to ask Sandalphon an explanation about the dragons and that Singularity thing, but a female voice interrupted him.
"Kirby! Where are you?"
"Lyria! We're over here!" Kirby answered the call.
It didn't take long for the blue-haired girl to reach them, followed by Gran, Djeeta, and Vyrn. Meg, after alerting her captains that there was something very strange about Dedede's behaviour, had run to the hut accompanied by Ursula.
"Sandalphon!" the twins exclaimed at the same time when they saw the angel. They did not expect to find him there.
"Wait, why are there two of Kirby's friend?" Vyrn asked puzzledly, looking alternately at the two Dededes.
"Guys, you need to help me!" the trapped Dedede suddenly exclaimed. "These demon beasts are pretending to be me and Sandalphon! They have tricked Kirby into helping them with their evil plans!"
The entire group looked at each other, puzzled by the trapped Dedede's announcement. Sandalphon's exasperated expression, combined with Meg's warning, was enough for the Grandcypher's captains to recognise that what the trapped Dedede had said was a big lie.
"It didn't work, did it? Well, I had to try..." the frustrated demon beast sighed, before falling silent again.
Dedede then aproached the captains to properly introduce himself.
"So you are the famous Gran and Djeeta that everyone talks about so much. And you two must therefore be Vyrn and Lyria. I am King Dedede, the Great Ruler of Dreamland, protector of Popstar, the most important member of the Star Allies, and Kirby's legendary destined rival."
"Nice to meet the real you, Dedede," Lyria replied warmly.
"Yeah. Even if you still have a big ego, at least you are way nicer than this impostor," Vyrn commented after the king animatedly shook hands with everyone.
Hearing that, Dedede was quick to connect the dots and turned angrily on the demon beast.
"Did you try to ruin my reputation?!"
"Your reputation was just collateral damage! I just wanted to lure my prey away from the rest of his companions so that when his guard was down, I could defeat him," the beast explained, taken aback by the king's rage.
"Heh, like if you could beat Kirby with such a bad plan. You didn't even last a single assault on me!" Dedede mocked it. "If I hadn't interupted you, Kirby would have kicked your butt in mere seconds. You may have copied my looks, but it's clear that you didn't copy my strength!"
The demon beast let out a frustrated growl that Dedede took as a sign that he was right.
"Well, now the question is what do we do with you," Djeeta said as she approached the monster, who looked at her with its silver eyes.
"Torture me all you want, but I will never reveal anything about my creator's plans!" The beast exclaimed, attempting to be brave. Djeeta, however, could see the fear in its eyes.
Wait a minute... Fear? Hadn't Meta Knight said that demon beasts had no emotions? Although fear was part of every living creature's basic instinct, that behavior was more typical of an emotional being.
What the captain was about to do could be considered mischievous, but there was one thing she needed to check out.
"It is not willing to collaborate. Hey Vyrn, I think we should use your power to just finish it off."
The wyvern blinked in bewilderment at her friend's cold suggestion. That was uncharacteristic of her. Djeeta turned to Vyrn and the rest of the group, with an expression that said: "just play along with me".
"It's nothing personal, but we can't leave you hanging around and causing trouble," Vyrn said as he approached the beast, trying to sound as intimidating as possible.
"No, please! I don't want to die! Put me in a cold cell or release me in the middle of a desert where I won't be able to harm anyone, but please let me live!" the beast begged, its voice so fearful that it shocked everyone, especially Vyrn.
However, Djeeta only nodded. She had been looking for that desire to cling to life that no emotionless being could have. The captain gave the beast a thoughtful look. What exactly did that mean? Had Meta Knight lied to them in order for Vyrn to kill the beast that had attacked them in the Grandcypher? That made n osense: the knight didn't appear to be the type of person who does something so despicable.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Do you want me to suffer before you kill me or something?" the beast protested, still terrified but now also irritated.
"We're not going to kill you. My sister was only bluffing," Gran assured the creature. "We are not as cruel as your creator."
"You can't be serious," the beast questioned. "I'm your enemy! Enemies are meant to destroy one another!" it roared up. It looked perplexed, as if everything it believed had been contradicted.
"Hey, make up your mind! Do you want us to kill you or not?!" Dedede yelled at it. The beast shook its head.
Kirby, then, approached the creature in a conciliatory manner.
"Well, In my opinion making friends is better than making enemies, poyo. It's way more fun! You can organize picnics with them and the food tastes better. You can also go fishing, camping or better yet: go on a big adventure! As I said, it's much better than making enemies."
"Demon beast do not need friends."
"But everybody does! If you want to, I could be your first one," the pink puffball offered. Dedede rolled his eyes as he groaned:"here he goes again".
"A predator cannot befriend its prey!" the demon beast replied.
Kirby was going to add something more, but Dedede stopped him.
"Come on, Kirby; don't waste your time arguing with that thing. It's a Nightmare's creation: it's not going to buy your 'friendship talk'."
"But I really want to be its friend, poyo," Kirby protested, a little upset.
"You only say that because I look like one of your best friends!" the fake Dedede accused him. "If you saw my real form, you wouldn't want to be my friend at all because you would be too terrified!"
"Is that so? Then show it to us," Gran challenged the beast.
"Do you really want to see the real me? Don't blame me if you're afraid to move when you do!"
A white light engulfed the beast's body as he spoke those words. Sandalphon's seal shrank to accommodate the creature's true form: a slime roughly the size of Kirby. It had a deep purple body and two silver eyes, as well as an antenna coming out of its head that ended in a blue point of light.
The beast reminded Dedede of an angler fish due to the antenna, except angler fish were far scarier than the beast, who was, in fact...
"So cute!" Lyria exclaimed. "Is this how you actually look like? You are not scary at all! On the contrary, I want to hug you because of how adorable you are."
"Lyria, please: don't hug the slime. Its body could be harmful," Vyrn asked her.
"Don't call me cute! I'm terrifying! I am a dangerous and very powerful demon beast that can destroy you in a matter of seconds!" the beast threatened with a voice that sounded somewhat childish and high-pitched.
"I don't think that is true. A stronger creature would have already broken through my seal," Sandalphon pointed. His sealing power (well, Uriel's sealing power) usually didn't last that long.
"Well, that's because I'm just pretending to be weak so you all low your guard," the slime claimed, but its voice was filled with doubt.
"Wow, you are very bad at lying," Dedede pointed. "In fact, I think you are very bad at your job in general."
"No shit, Sherlock," the beast replied. The skydwellers couldn't help but wonder who or what was a Sherlock. "I know I'm bad at my job! I can't fool the Supreme Primarch by pretending to be Lucifer, I can't fool Kirby by pretending to be Dedede, you all make fun of me because you don't find me scary, and my creator is mad at me because I didn't follow the order to go back to the lab!" the slime ranted.
"Hold on. Did you just say that you disguised yourself as Lucifer?" Gran stopped the demon beast's rant. The adventurer gave Sandalphon a quick glance, and the angel confirmed that what the beast was saying was true. "That's a very low stoop."
"It's not my fault. That is what my powers do. I was born from those nightmares in which someone is betrayed by their loved ones," the creature revealed. "With my antenna, I can read the mind of my prey and take the form of someone they love using their memories," the creature exposed, trying to sound scary. "When they are totally trapped by my illusion, I attack and consume them with my body, absorbing their power and knowledge after dissolving them. Terrifying, am I right?"
Shocked expressions were drawn on everyone's faces. The slime took it as confirmation that it was indeed scary.
"Or that's how it should be, but I just can't get it to work!" the beast continued, very frustrated with itself, to the point that it seemed desperate. "Nothing I do works! I disobeyed my master because I wanted to show him that I was not 'defective' by destroying his enemies and retrieving the Star Rod's shard. But, instead, I have been caught! I have gotten myself into a 'do or die' situation, and I have failed! Why am I alive if I can't even fulfil my mission?" the beast shouted with a sad bellow.
Those words echoed in Sandalphon. How many times had he asked himself that question in the past? Perhaps that was why a part of him took pity on the demon beast. It was strange to see the incarnation of a nightmare being afraid of something as mundane as death, especially since that was a fear alien to immortal beings.
But aside from that, the thing he found weird about the creature was that Nightmare had considered it defective. It had a purpose, emotions, and intelligence; it was well aware of the extent of its power, and it didn't seem to be part of another beast. So, why was it considered defective? Well, it seemed ignorant of certain basic knowledge about its nature (like the immortality thing), but still, the angel didn't find it enough to consider the demon defective.
Sandalphon looked at Dedede, hoping the king knew something more about that, but the penguin also had an abstracted expression, as if he were as confused as or even more so than the angel was. Still beside him, Kirby looked at the demon beast with pity and concern.
"But for some reason that I can't understand, even if I'm defective, I want to live," the beast continued after a few seconds of silence, with determination despite the fear that was still reflected in his voice. "Since the moment I opened my eyes less than a day ago, I have enjoyed being alive. Many of my peers seemed confused, scared and anxious, but not me. I was just happy to have been brought to life. It was like I had been asleep for a long time, and I finally woke up! I couldn't wait to see what I could do or how far I would go."
The beast, who had said all of that sounding oddly happily suddently became gloomier.
"And then, the first order came and suddenly all I could think about was chasing after my creator's enemies. I realised then that the only reason I had been brought to life was to serve him, but I just accepted it. As long as I am alive, it doesn't matter what happens... or so I thought. The more time passed, the more scared I became of losing my life. I know: it's weird that I'm scared despite being the one who should be feared. Maybe my creator is right and I'm defective."
The beast suddenly looked relieved, as if it releasing those thoughts had somehow took a weight out of its shoulders.
"I don't think your failures or your fear make you defective," Saldalphon said. "Do you want to know why I and Kirby were able to see through your disguises? It was because you still don't know how the heart works."
"Heart? Isn't that the organ that pumps blood throughout the body, which mortals require to live?" the beast wondered.
"It's not that kind of heart," amusement on her face. "The heart Sandalphon refers to is more difficult to describe. You could say it's what makes it possible to feel emotions."
"I'm pretty sure that is the brain's job," the slime retorted.
"See? That's exactly what I meant. You don't get it yet. But I'm confident you will with time."
"Will I be able to use my powers correctly when I do?"
"Stop right there!" Dedede decided to step in. "Have you guys lost your minds? You're coaching a creation of Nightmare on how to use its powers!" the penguin reminded them.
"My name is Dupler, and I am a 'he,' not a 'it,'" the irritated slime corrected.
"If you wanted to be treated properly, you should have said it sooner," Vyrn said.
"I can't argue with that," Dupler said, shrugging by forming two small tentacles that acted as arms. Sandalphon quickly reapplied the sealing magic after noticing that the slime had regained some mobility. He pitied the creature, but he wasn't going to let it run free.
"As I was saying, you guys are forgetting that Dupler intends to kill us all in order to save himself from Nightmare's warth!" Dedede continued after being interrupted. "We should not be helping him at all!"
"Heh, if I started listing all the people who tried to kill us and who we later helped, we'd be here until tomorrow," Djeeta joked. "Beginning with Mr. 'you have delicate fingers' over here," she added, looking at Sandalphon playfully .
"How long will you keep reminding me of that?" Sandalphon yelled at her, angry and embarrassed. Djeeta, on the other hand, burst out laughing while Gran just rolled his eyes.
"Delicate fingers? Were you flirting with her or something? I thought you said you had someone already," Dedede asked Sandalphon, a bit confused.
"That's irrelevant now!" the angel yelled.
Suddenly, Kirby's stomach rumbled, startling everyone.
"Perhaps we should get some snacks and discuss this in a more appropriate setting, poyo," the blushing hero suggested. "Meg may also be concerned about us. Let's reunite with her and explain everything."
Everyone seemed to agree with Kirby. They all needed to relax and focus on the situation because...
"Hey," Dupler called. "If you're not going to kill me, can you at least tell me what you're going to do with me?"
...they had no idea how to answer that question
_-º-_-º
Meta Knight no longer knew what to think about Siete.
They had splitted from Kirby's group to look for Dedede, but upon learning of the situation in the city he instantly offered his (and Six's) unconditional assistance to the guards, like every famous warrior who cared about the welfare of the populace should. The mission was to catch a dangerous monster that was loose on the island. Meta Knight, who applauded Siete's gesture, was certain that the monster was actually demon beast and so he decided to go with them.
But instead of devising a plan to capture the beast or a battle strategy while they were hunting for it, Siete animatedly talked about the city and its beaches as if he were a tour guide.
As Siete rambled on about a sauna that had been created with the Eternals in mind, an annoyed Meta Knight wondered: "seriosly, what is this guy's deal? How can he be so carefree in middle of a mission?". He could tolerate that attitude coming from Kirby because the pink puffball was a child, but not form an adult. The knight remembered that Quatre had been upset when Nehan had suggested calling Siete, and now he understood why.
Yet Meta Knight couldn't say Siete wasn't doing his job. Meta Knight noticed, despite the triviality of the talks, how the human kept his guard up at all times, mindful that something could attack any of them at any moment. Six, on the other hand, was hunting with all of his senses, and, just like a wolf, his ears were twitching and straining to catch any strange noise. Six, for his part, had all his senses on the hunt, like a wolf. If the erune was also irritated with his leader's attitude, it couldn't be read in his body language, let alone his hidden face. Perhaps Six was so used to Siete's attitude that it didn't bother him.
The three warriors were accompanied by two city guards, whom they had decided to tell that Meta Knight was a primal beast. The pair appeared nervous and excited, as if they were two avid fans who had just met their idol, who just happen to be Siete. Meta Knight could hear them muttering things like "he's as strong as I've heard" or "I could get lost in his green eyes all day". If those two were part of his Meta-Knights, the blue puffball would have already scolded them for fantasising instead of focusing on their job.
Suddenly, Six's ears perked up as Meta Knight's body tensed. Something was approaching them. Six extended his claws at the same time the knight unsheathed his sword. Siete, for his part, stood silently, a smile spreading across his face. The guards had no idea what was going on, but they still drew their weapons (a bow and a spear).
"Are you guys ready for a fight?" Siete asked his companions.
"Do you doubt it?" Six asked back, after letting out an smal chuckle.
"Stay alert. Demon beasts are not like common monsters," Meta Knight warned the two guards, who nodded.
Something landed in front of them, kicking up a cloud of dust, just as Meta Knight finished saying those words. When the dust settled, a being resembling a beehive appeared in front of them. Instead of bees, it had a swarm of eyes of various sizes and colors swirling around its center.
"Well, I hope none of you have scopophobia, because it's clear what fear Nightmare invoked to create this thing," Siete commented as he made a sword appear in his hands.
Meta Knight was taken aback by the Eternal's weapon. It was a translucent sword made of pure, concentrated energy. Small stars could be seen shining inside it, as if an entire constellation had been captured by its blade. It usually took a lot of effort and magic to summon a spirit weapon like that, but Siete had made it look like someone was just drawing a normal sword. What kind of power did the human possess to be able to perform such a feat so effortlessly? Meta Knight shook his head. He didn't have time to reflect on Siete's extraordinary abilities.
They had a monster to defeat.
Lucilius: I have made Primal Beasts
Nightmare: you fucked up some perfectly good tools, that is what you did. Look at them: they got anxiety
I swear I thought about the angler fish like slime before I knew there was one in Slime Rancher 2 (cute game by the way, I recommend it). Also, I'm going to revise this fic somewhere in the near future to check the grammar, put thoughts in italics and fix some other errors.