Chapter 3

"Good news, Triple D." The salesman announced. "Your compensation monster is ready!"

"It's about time!" Dedede huffed and stomped his foot. "Just send it on over!"

"Alrighty then. I think this one will blow you away!" The salesman cackled as the transporter crackled into action.

—-

Tiff and Tuff were walking around the castle when they came across a giant mess of things scattered around the halls.

"What's all this stuff doing out here?" Tuff asked.

"I don't know, come on, let's go check it out!" Tiff said, taking the lead and running down the hall to see what was going on.

They ended up in the throne room, which was completely trashed, and had a bunch of Waddle-Dees tidying up.

"King Dedede, Escargoon, what happened here?" Tiff asked the destructive duo directly.

"That's none of your business." King Dedede replied.

"What do you mean? The castle is wrecked!" Tuff exclaimed.

"It was just a little mishap." Escargoon answered dismissively. "Come on, your majesty, let's get out of here."

King Dedede and Escagroon left the room in a huff.

"Hm, he's up to something." Tiff said. "I'll bet he ordered another monster!"

"If he did, by the looks of this place it was more than he could handle." Tuff noted.

"You go check on Kirby, I'm going to ask Meta Knight what he thinks." Tiff instructed.

"Er, okay." Tuff nodded, running off in the other direction as Tiff went to see Meta Knight.

Tiff hurried down the halls of the castle to Meta Knight's room. She hadn't seen him yet today, so she figured she'd start there. If there was something going on, maybe he'd know about it. And if he didn't, then she needed to tell him so they could investigate. She approached the door and saw Blade Knight leaving the room.

"Blade Knight!" Tiff called out. He turned around.

"Wtah? What is it Tiff?" Blade asked.

"I need to talk to Meta Knight, I think King Dedede summoned another monster." Tiff explained.

"Hu, are you sure?" Blade asked

"Dedede is definitely up to something." Tiff replied.

"What's going on, Blade?" Sword exited the room.

"I think Dedede got a monster, and it might be after Kirby." Tiff explained, "So I came to ask Meta Knight. Do you know where he is?"

"Well, Meta Knight is a little.." Blade started.

"He's caught a cold." Sword explained.

"He's sick? How'd that happen?" Tiff asked.

"What's going on out here?" Meta Knight asked, emerging from the room to stand in the doorway, wrapped in his cape. His voice sounded a little hoarse when he spoke.

Tiff repeated the situation to Meta Knight, who was quiet for a moment before answering.

"Yes, that seems very suspicious. Let's check in with Tuff." He answered before turning his head and lightly coughing into his cape.

"S'ti yako, Meta Knight, we can go." Blade said.

"That's right!" Sword Knight nodded.

"No, I need you both to keep an eye on the king." Meta Knight replied. "Report back when you've found out what he's up to."

Sword and Blade glanced at each other and then gave a quick nod.

"Come, Tiff. Let us go." Meta Knight gestured for Tiff to follow him and they ran to check on Kirby.

—-

It was a wind monster. It looked like a giant, lumpy bird with six wings that had brown and green feathers like camouflage and it created gusts of wind by blowing out of its multiple mouths or flapping its wings. And it was blowing Kirby around like a leaf when Meta Knight and Tiff finally found Kirby and Tuff in the canyons.

"I'm sure glad you made it! Kirby's hasn't been able to suck up its attacks!" Tuff said. He was hiding behind a rock.

Meta Knight looked over the battle. "Its attacks are too widespread. Kirby needs it to concentrate its energy when it attacks."

"How do we get it to do that?" Tuff asked.

"Oh I think I know! Kabu, warp star!" Tiff shouted. Within minutes the warp star had appeared to aid Kirby.

Kirby hopped onto the warp star and flew above the monster's attacks.

"Very good." Meta Knight replied. He coughed a little before clearing his throat. "Now the monster should.."

As if on cue, the monster seemed to realize Kirby couldn't be blown around anymore and started using wing slashes to send blades of wind after Kirby.

"Kirby, suck em up!" Tiff ordered, and Kirby quickly inhaled them and turned into sword Kirby.

"Look out!" Meta Knight pulled Tiff and Tuff out from behind the rock they were sitting behind as a stray attack split their hiding spot in half. They took cover behind another boulder.

"That was a close one!" Tuff exclaimed.

They watched Kirby fight the monster, Tiff and Tuff cheering him on while Meta Knight hung back and observed quietly like he normally did. He knew Kirby could beat this monster. Near the end, the monster went berserk and started flinging attacks in all directions. Meta Knight stopped any aimed towards Tiff and Tuff with his sword.

Kirby finished the monster off with a sword beam when it was tired from releasing so many attacks. He "Poya"ed triumphantly and bounced over to see his friends while the warp star returned to Kabu.

"Great job, Kiby." Tiff congratulated him.

"Yeah, you were awesome!" Tuff exclaimed.

"Poya!" Kirby cheered.

"Hey, is that Sword and Blade?" Tuff said suddenly. Meta Knight's light coughing had alerted them to the approaching Knights, and Meta Knight had already taken a few steps towards his incoming companions when Kirby, Tiff, and Tuff noticed them.

Sword and Blade caught up to them and explained the situation about the freebie monster Dedede had gotten and about how there was no evil plan other than to send that monster after Kirby.

"Well that's a relief." Tuff sighed. "Hey there's still a little bit of time left before we have to go home. We should go to Cappy town and get some ice cream!"

"Poya!" Kirby agreed.

"Do you guys wanna come too?" Tuff offered.

"No, we'll head back to the castle with Meta Knight." Sword replied after hesitating for a moment. Meta Knight turned his head slightly to look at him, although his expression was unreadable under the mask. He turned his head away as he coughed.

"You okay, Meta Knight?" Tiff asked.

"I am fine. It's just a cold." He replied.

"We'll see you later." Tuff waved as he turned away.

"Hopefully King Dedede will take a break from monsters for a while." Tiff sighed as she left.

Meta Knight and his swordsmen departed back to the castle. Since they insisted on following him instead of getting ice cream, Meta Knight made a mental note to inconspicuously leave ice cream in the fridge later.

They could hear King Dedede throwing a tantrum about his monster being defeated and Escargoon trying to calm him down as they passed by the throne room.

Meta Knight's cough was persistent and he could feel a headache creeping up on him. The king wouldn't be in the mood to deal with Nightmare enterprises until the next day, so Meta Knight resigned himself to work another few hours and then turn in early that night.