To Monkey999Boy: The entire reason for that part was to demonstrate that the Staff of Striking is your best friend when you come to the worst boss in Plague of Shadows, Propeller Knight.
To Angelmation: As for the general idea with the storyline, do you mean K is for knife's story or the entire AU in general? If it's the former, that's only one story. If it's the latter, then the idea is to develop each knight's backstory and personality with what the source material says (Specter and King are in a neutral area, so when their campaigns come out I will tweak some things to align with canon) and to be a supplementary reading to another Shovel Knight fanfic I'm [trying to do] working on, if I ever post it. Characters like Albrecht and stories of the knights would be carried over to that storyline. Thank you for that compliment! Glad people are reading the drivel I put up on the Netz and like it.
To ProwlerPercy and other Undertale fans: YES! However, that will be the last big reference to Undertale. I feltthat it was too heavy a reference :/
And holy flying ship guys this made it to TvTropes' Fanfic Recs tab! I feel very happy! I am honored! :D Danke schӧn, merci beacoup, thank you very much! In honor of this milestone, I have created a tumblr where I can share some of the little details and thoughts I had while writing! You can see sneak peeks on future chapters, too! You can look for 'lkcsi' (NOTE: LKCSI) or go to my profile for the link. Layout may look crappy… and the choice of social media site is bad… and not all of the things I will probably post aren't Shovel Knight related… so you don't have to follow.
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L is for light.
"So, I'm curious." Mole Knight broke the unsettling silence, producing a handy-dandy notebook from an armor pocket in case of awkwardness. "What do you think of the word 'hell'?"
"Zhe vord 'hell' in German means 'light'." Albrecht said, not looking up from the book he was reading. "It functions as an adjective. For example, 'mein Zimmer ist hell', which means 'my room is bright."
"So… that's why you don't seem to fear anything." Mole Knight muttered. "Hell is bright."
Albrecht shrugged. "I do not really like to question my mozher tongue's rules. I fear many zhings, just so you know. Like questioning my language's choice of vords and watching Captain Propeller fall, but I'd razher just laugh as he screams."
There was a not-so-distant French groan when Albrecht said that. The halberdier just chuckled quietly and resumed reading his novel.
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L is for liquid samurai.
"I'm aaaaskiiiiiinnnnggg." King Knight dragged the vowel sounds of 'asking' longer than necessary.
"Huh?" The three Liquid Samurai raised their right brows in unison.
"Whaaat's sooonngg waasss thaaaat thiiiing siingiiiiiiing?" The monarch asked again.
There was an incoherent string of gurgling sounds between the three liquid men. They then faced each other and seemed to deliberate among themselves.
Propeller Knight tapped one of them on the shoulder. "Salut!"
The blue shifter's eyes formed a curved purple line that arced upwards. It raised a droopy hand and waved while saying something incoherent in a high-pitched voice.
"Huh. You looked cute for a moment." Mole Knight chimed in.
"Hello, hee!" Plague Knight said, picking up on what Propeller Knight wanted to do.
All of them, even the angry red swordsman, paused and waved in the same manner as earlier.
"Can you tell me where the stairs are?" Polar Knight murmured lowly.
The green archer made several garbled noises and pointed to the obvious flight of stairs on the group's right.
"They understand us." Propeller Knight snapped a finger. "But they do not speak our language!"
"I want to see what they'll do." Mole Knight stepped forward. "Repeat after me."
The three faced the archaeologist and listened attentively. "Hai."
"Green." He said clearly.
"Midori!" They 'repeated' in chorus. The archer even pointed to itself gleefully.
"I love you the most."
"Daisuki sa!"
"The sorrowful world."
"Setsunakutte chikyuu."
"Please."
"Onigai!"
"Thanks."
"Arigato!"
"We can now say they understand us." Mole Knight concluded.
There was a loud babbling sound from the three liquid things, and they looked so happy doing it. They were beaming in their own little odd way. Mole Knight cast a confused glance at them, before chuckling a little.
"You can stop now." Mole Knight gently said, to which the three nodded to. As they went back to huddle in a small group circle, the archaeologist took out a small paper from his armor pocket. "I memorized a bunch of Japanese expressions."
"You're so crazily prepared." King Knight muttered.
"And now I am going to tell you that you should stop sounding like a whale to them." Mole Knight rolled his eyes at his teammate.
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L is for little baby.
"We might have a baby at our midst!" King Knight rushed into the dining hall, his blond hair disheveled from the hair pulling he had done earlier. His brows were knitted together in a frightful expression.
"Oh my… King Knight, who is the unlucky woman?!" Propeller Knight dramatically dragged his fingertips down from his eyes to his chin. "Save her!"
"There's no pregnant woman if that is what you're thinking!" King Knight's voice raised an octave as he spoke fast as lightning. He then ran to Specter Knight's seat and bravely tapped on the apparition's shoulder. The phantom turned his head and stared right into the windows of King Knight's soul.
"What is it?" Specter Knight hissed.
"The Enchantress just revived you last year, right?"
"Precisely nine and a half months ago." Specter Knight tilted his head to his right. "Why?"
"SO YOU'RE ONLY NINE AND A HALF MONTHS OLD?!"
"Yes. Why? Is there a-" The apparition stopped speaking as soon as he realized what the flustered man was saying. His eyes widened for a moment before he let his brows furrow deep. He started to simmer in hot rage, his hands curling into fists as he softly counted from one to a hundred. There was a pregnant pause in the dinner table.
"Umm… so he's the baby boy?" Plague Knight piped up after long minutes of silence, pointing a tiny finger at the reaper.
The majority of the Order of no Quarter promptly laughed heartily, much to the Specter Knight's chagrin.
"Hee, would you like some milk?" "Do you want to sleep now, baby boy? I can sing a lullaby! I lay thee down, so now and rest…" "He's saying his first words now! Say 'maman'!" "M-m-mission accomplished!" "We have to change his diaper! I can smell shit in it!" "Language! There's a child!"
They all completely forgot that the 'nine-month old baby boy' had a very bad temper once mocked.
/*later in the Lich Yard*/
"Is there… anything you need, master?" His personal assistant trembled as she stood by his right side. Her hands were clasped behind her back in prayer. Oh gods please help me he looks so angry I don't think anything can calm him down! My job is to calm him down, and I think I can't do it!
Specter Knight only sat on his little throne, his left hand holding his scythe and his right glowing yellow and drawing circles in the air. He was quietly grumbling.
"I-I am here now, sir." She said a little bit louder. I think he's angrier than the banana and the cat incident…
"I want their souls, I want them all…" He mumbled.
"What do you need?" She repeated, plucking up all her courage to face her agitated master.
"I need all of them dead!" He banged a glowing fist on the arm of his throne, tiny yellow sparks dancing by his hand as he did so. "Is there anything left for me in my existence aside from cats and babies?! They called me a cat and tried to put a hairband with cat ears on my head, then they call me a baby and attempt to pinch me like an infant!" He ranted furiously to his assistant, and proceeded to unburden himself of unfathomable rage through releasing angry strings of curses and serious death and mutilation threats. The poor aide could only stand there and cry.
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L is for love.
Shield Knight and Shovel Knight were in a humble quite dilapidated inn in the middle of the stormy night. The lady's injured arm was already wrapped in bandages and was gently pressed by a warm damp cloth.
"Ow." She hissed as her partner pressed it a little too hard against her bruised shoulder. She flinched a little bit, and all her companion could do was freeze on the spot.
"Sorry." The little blue man mumbled, his bright eyes looking up at her face. She blushed at his cute gaze, and playfully slapped his hand when his stare at her face was getting too long.
"You're making me blush." She teased, pinching his cheeks.
A sharp knock disturbed the two's little moment. "Sir, madame, I have a package sent for you."
"Oh?" Shield Knight tapped a finger on her chin and looked up thoughtfully. "Who could have sent us a package?"
Shovel Knight put the hot cloth back in a bucket full of warm water and stood up. He strode to the door and opened the door. The innkeeper held a small parcel, wrapped sloppily in black paper and held together by a thin blue ribbon.
"Who sent it?" Shovel Knight asked in a soft voice.
The innkeeper just shrugged. "It was a small man in black armor. That's all I know. He was completely cloaked. I couldn't see his face."
"I see. Thank you very much." The little knight carefully closed the door and walked back to Shield Knight. He held the package out to her. "It doesn't have a name on it."
Shield Knight snatched the package with her good arm and bounced it up and down. "It's awfully light. I think cloth is inside."
"Which might contain another amulet and-"
Shield Knight shot him a glare and squeezed the package as powerfully as she could. The paper crinkled as she squashed it one-handedly. "I don't feel anything hard inside." She pulled at one of the ribbon's ends and removed it from the paper wrapping.
"Shield Knight, we should be careful-"
"Mhmm." She mumbled in reply, and pushed the paper's edges outwards to reveal what was inside.
It was a long red scarf, decorated with countless little golden snowflakes scattered all around. The ends of the scarf had long braids in gold yarn. Shield Knight peered at the scarf closer and glided her fingertips across the surface. The scarf had an uneven surface, and upon closer examination, it had irregular patterns of knitting and crocheting. A small smile tugged at her lips when memory linked the scarf's style to a certain Polar Knight.
"Hey, Shield Knight." Shovel Knight picked up the paper wrapping and pointed to some white scribbles. "There is something written on it. I can't read it."
She glanced away from the scarf and to the white letters of another language. Tears of happiness started to pool at her eyes when she read the paper's single message.
"Shield Knight, are you alright?" Shovel Knight discarded the paper and wiped away the tears falling down her pink cheeks.
"No, I'm alright. It's… an invitation." She grinned cheerfully, and then wrapped the little blue knight in a bear hug.
Outside the inn, the small man in black pushed a boulder up to retrieve his obsidian and red armor and helmet. He put on his horned helmet last, and cast one last gaze to the humble inn before vanishing in the shadows.
We are leaving for home, Shield Knight. Would you and Shovel Knight care to join us?
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L is for loss.
"Long live the kingdom of Pridemoor!" The revolutionary knights cheered, raising their swords, lances, and bows up in the air in victory. In the midst of celebrations, some knights worked to quell the flames of war on some residences, grand halls, and shops. The Goldarmor knights marched away from the village's reach as fast as they could, with archers still shooting arrows tipped with explosives at them. Many of their shields got blown off from their metal arms, much to the glee of the revolutionists.
"Long live the rightful King!" They continued on, happy grins and joyful tears on the rebels' faces. "Long live the Seven Founders!"
Meanwhile, in the Keep of Pridemoor, King Knight stood in a balcony. He scowled at the large pillar of black smoke to the northeast.
"I lost another patch of land again…" He curled a hand into a fist and strode back into the dim hallways of his keep. "Guards! Recapture! As punishment, increase the taxes! Slaughter anyone who disagrees! Lock the kingdom down, and strengthen border lines!"
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L is for life.
The market village was electrified by the victory in their sister town, now called the Armor Outpost by the Revolution. Banners and streamers of assorted colors became strewn around and fixed to high posts. One can see the workers in bakeries, eateries, and taverns handing out food and beer in merry spirits. Children started to play ball with the knights who fought in earlier skirmishes, laughing and hugging their heroes' feet. Sweeping victories after victories were causing so much happiness within the refugees, and the only thing they cheer for was the Revolution to storm Pridemoor Keep and put the rightful king back on his throne.
Specter Knight, back in his human disguise, strolled by quietly as everything around him reeked of life and happiness. He held his scythe, disguised as a gray cane, loosely as he walked around to take in the merry-making all around him.
Have I not done anything for this to happen for me? He thought to himself, and scowled at the answer he knows by heart.
He came across a crowd around the leaders of the revolt in the village plaza. He stood quite close to the elevated stage and was able to view the seven knights seated on chairs just behind the old orator.
"… and in gratitude for your efforts and victories, may you accept our humble village's gifts of turkey, plaques, and well-tempered steel for armor and blades…"
"How lucky you are." The apparition whispered under his breath.
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L is for lost.
It had been breaktime, just before twilight.
"The letters that we can get from the first letters in the mural are an 's', a 'c', and a 'p'."
Mole Knight had heard an old minion ask as they practiced for the students coming to the Lost City that time. There was the tour guide, with the entire linguistics department acting as surrogate students. He had lifted his helmet and put a cup of water to his lips.
"Give me some words that start with those letters!"
"Stab carrion powerfully!"
Mole Knight had almost choked on his water.
"Society of Creepy Perverts!"
The head archaeologist had stifled a chortle. "Oh gods…"
"Snakes, Crows, and People!"
"Sunny Cloud Project!"
"Sleepy Construction People!"
As the linguists started having their immature fun and poke at each other, all the knight had thought of was welcoming the young ones to the Lost City. Should things be grand or simple? Should he show them all the things the entire dig group was doing?
He had made sure everything would go on safely with the young students arriving for the week. He had stopped all demolitions and mapped all the places they would go. Students with bright futures were coming over, and he wasn't going to let them get buried under a possible accident. He even had a medical team spread out and standby everywhere!
And all those efforts would be nought if he couldn't find the lost group.
"Kids!" Mole Knight waved his bright torch around. The others, people from security, linguistics, anthropology, history, paleontology, hell, people from every damn department, echoed the calls.
He would wave the damn torch around until he finds the kids, even if it burns out.
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L is for library.
It's my first day later, Albrecht thought in his mother tongue. He bit his lip, trying to hold his new gold and blue halberd tightly. Despite being handpicked as the best warrior in the kingdom, he shook in nervousness. He was going to be a big part of the friendship and alliance activity after intense antagonism between France and the German Kingdom, and there was no turning back. In exchange for his services for the French, his family would receive land and gold, something that his family would like. He hoped they won't forget him in the indefinite amount of years they would be separated. If the new master would allow it, he'd visit.
He tried to think of the French captain he would serve for years to come. Would he be the same as his superiors, who rules with an iron fist but with the tenderness of fatherly love? Would he be worse, an incompetent knight with only nobility to flaunt? He had heard of him, his new superior, Propeller Knight. He heard that he was born in a family of noble blood, one of the most powerful in France. He didn't catch the family name, though, but he knew he was heir to a high noble or something. Due to his inherited nobility and France's recent focus on tourism, he owned Europe's most luxurious transportation service, the Flying Machine. And the Germans 'fixed' the airship, adding a self-sustaining energy source, several more modern armaments, and a long list of upgrades. Wine included.
He heard that he would hit on ladies and flirt with them, that he had a very lovely reputation amongst women. They also said he was one of the most arrogant and insensitive men alive. That remained to be seen… although the idea was scary. I don't want to be stuck with a mean boss!
He looked at his future master as politely as he could, and the rumors seemed to be true. Walking with his stern, iron-bodied superiors was a fair man in green and gold, a rapier attached to a belt on his hip. He wore a confident smile, exuding an air of openness. His long light brown hair was tied back with a golden ribbon, and he had striking hazel eyes. He was truly a man born with noble status, almost a prince.
"C'est notre représentant." One of Albrecht's superiors chatted with the French knight, gesturing to him. The captain's hazel eyes scanned him from top to bottom. "Il ne parle pas français."
As illiterate as he is in French, he could understand that the decorated soldier regrets his inability to speak the language. Albrecht sank a little in his spot, trying to keep his straight composure. What else can he do? He wasn't so educated. He only was a schoolboy before he entered knighthood.
"Oh? Est-ce que cela ne vous dérange pas de travailler avec nous?"The Frenchman thrust his face out to him, and Albrecht involuntarily backed away.
"N-non, m-monsieur." Albrecht sulked. "Ich spreche Französisch nicht."
"English?" He suddenly said, heavy accent tainting his speech. "Do you speak English?"
Albrecht brightened up a bit. "English… a little… it is fine."
The Frenchman grinned, and dramatically snapped his fingers. "Zhen English it is! I'll learn German, as well!"
Everyone else let out a gasp. Albrecht looked worriedly at the unfazed noble, who was looking proud of his decision. He was even striking a ridiculous pose! What is wrong with him?!
"I am honored… but… you cannot do that! Do not put status to danger. German is not-"
"SSH!" The knight shushed everyone with an air of authority, wagging a finger in front of his new lackey's rapidly paling face. "I will do as I please. I should be friends with you! 'ey. Guess what."
"… yes?"
"I'll 'ave a library set up in the Flying Machine soon. We can both practice by reading wholesome books!" He laughed, patting his new friend on the back quite powerfully. Pat. Pat. Slap. Autsch. Pat. Another strong pat. Pat. That was almost sickeningly nice. "We'll be great friends!"
"Uh, y-yes, sire." Albrecht stiffened like a statue when he felt the curious gazes of his bosses.
"So do not be so afraid!" Propeller Knight grinned, rubbing circles on his new underling's thin armor. "Trust me! I'm your new master now, oui? Zhat's an order!"
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L is for lonely.
The shore was so peaceful that night. The local breeze blew strongly, and the waves crashed down on the shore. The sea's terror, Treasure Knight walked alone in the deserted shoreline, a small wildflower in his big hand. He reached sandy soil, and walked deeper into the growing foliage. He passed by a tiny and decrepit hut overlooking the shore. He sighed. They used to see the sunset together. We used to sightsee together.
A spirit followed him closely, its pale eyes looking up at the head of the knight.
"Greetings, Anthony." Treasure Knight muttered. His helmet was pushed up, seeing the small pile of stones better. A name was crudely carved on one of the stones, Anthony's name. Below the small cairn, inside a pit, was a tiny box, barely larger than his anchor arm. Anthony's little coffin still lay under it, housing the broken bones of a puppy dog barely over three years old.
As if a spirit could answer back audibly, he cracked a tiny wistful smile and chuckled sadly as he placed the wildflower on top of the flat stones. He sat beside the memorial, patting the top of the stones, just like how he would do to Anthony when he was so much younger. The spirit sat obediently beside him, almost not realizing that it was already long dead.
"I apologize if I couldn't come sooner, buddy." He said softly. "I missed you."
The spirit dog jumped up and licked his face happily, wagging its tail, and all Treasure Knight was feel was a slight chill. He shrugged the cold feeling away, and sighed. Sensing the man's sorrowful expression, the spirit dog pat its right paw on the golden chestplate and licked his face, more determined than ever to relieve his sorrow.
"I could have saved you, Anthony. If only I had the money."
Up next: M is for marriage.
Translations (I heard French people are the kindest when it comes to their language and I think it's one of the prettiest languages):
C'est notre représentant – he's our representative
Il ne parle pas français – he doesn't speak French
Oh? Est-ce que cela ne vous dérange pas de travailler avec nous? - Oh? Will you be alright to work with us?
Ich spreche Franzӧsisch nicht – I don't speak French
Autsch – ouch (isn't it obvious?! :c )
When is putting foreign sentences needed? So that you can try to at least feel how other characters feel about a certain person… except for the Liquid Samurai when they're starting to become more verbose.