Chapter 12: Bonds

What he saw horrified him.

He stepped onto Chamber's hand, now covered in the dead corpses of the Hideauze. He replayed visions of a previous battle against the Hideauze. However, the more he began to fight them, the more they began to look human. It was sickening, as if he was being taunted and called a murderer. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't. It was a helpless feeling, like he wasn't in control of his own body, but merely the passenger. It ate away at his soul.

That was when Ledo's eyes shot open and he sat up, panting. He looked around to see that he was in his room on the Halberd. Magolor must have brought him back while he was unconscious. Suddenly, memory of the nightmare he awoke from flashed through his mind, causing him to vomit into a nearby trash can. There was nothing but bile, likely since he hadn't eaten anything since…wait, what time is it? The sky outside seemed like it was the transition to evening…has he been unconscious since late in the afternoon?! It didn't take long for his concern about the time to fade away. He felt so…numb. Not just numb, but he felt like something was eating away at his soul. All he could do was just lay on his bed and stare at the ceiling. When he became tired of that, he began to dully watch videos on the Galactic Alliance through Chamber. All of it felt like propaganda. That was when he heard a knock at the door.

"Ensign Ledo, Chamber told me that you're awake. I'd like to talk to you." it was Meta Knight.

"If it's about neglecting my duties, I just don't feel like working!" he snapped towards the door.

There was no response, as if the knight was stunned by that response. He heard a heavy sigh.

"I know my approach is usually very hands-off and I might not be the easiest person for you to speak to but…" the knight paused for a moment, as if he was trying to think of the right words "I thought I'd let you know that you can talk to me if you're having problems." There was a bit of awkwardness in his tone, as if this was something he wasn't used to saying.

Then he walked away.

"Is he awake?" Captain Vul questioned when Meta Knight returned to the bridge.

"He is. But he's clearly not doing well." He slipped a lemon drop under his mask before returning the small jar to his cape subspace.

"Could say the same for yourself."

"Perhaps."

There was silence as they watched the orange seas from the front of the bridge.

"So, what are you going to do?" His superior hesitated to answer.

"I told him he could talk to me if he was having problems, but I don't think he'll take the offer."

"After what he saw, probably not." The avian captain scratched his beard.

When Magolor brought the unconscious Ledo back two hours ago, he showed Meta Knight and Vul the data. He also constantly emphasized that he warned Ledo not to look at it, but that was likely because he was afraid of being blamed for it.

"Yeah, I knew there was something fishy about those Alliance bastards." The captain grumbled.

"I had my own suspicions about them, but this confirms that they are not to be trusted."

Actually, it wasn't just the Alliance he didn't trust. The so-called Evolver's use of illegal human experimentation forced his mind to recall the incident with the Haltmann Works Company.

Vul couldn't help but stare in horror as he saw Meta Knight shove a handful of lemon drops into his mouth, briefly shuddering in response to the burst of sour taste before storing the jar back in his subspace.

"Don't you think that's too many?"

He shook his head.

It was clear that the ensign needed help fast.

Ledo sat limply against the wall on his bed, staring solemnly at the floor. The communicator he used for Chamber sat loosely in his hand. He could hear a few noises approaching his door.

"Hey! Where are you going!? I didn't give you permission to-!"

"I don't need no permission! I'm the king! I go where I want!"

"This is my battleship!"

"What part of "I'm the king and I go where I want" don'cha get?!"

"Great King, this is the room, I think."

"At least knock before you…"

There was a slam on the side of the door, opening it to show King Dedede standing there.

"Nova dammit, Dedede, please more careful…" the knight uttered from behind him. The ensign looked at the king out of the corner of his eye.

Dedede pointed finger guns towards him "What's up, you depressed bastard?!" There was no reaction. "…crap, that wasn't the right thing to say, was it?" he stepped further into the room, being followed by Bandana Dee.

"I've seen better room reading ability from a coat rack." The knight sighed from the door.

"Coat racks can't talk!"

"Exactly."

"Please! This isn't the time to argue!" Bandana yelled from in between them. The two parties sighed in acknowledgement. Bandana Dee was right.

It was at that moment someone else came running from down the hall.

"Lord Meta Knight! We need you at the entrance to the Halberd now! We have a troubling situation!" it sounded like it was Sailor Dee.

"What is it now…?" he grumbled, seemingly turning towards Dedede "I'll be back in a bit." He then flew off, closing the door and leaving Ledo with only Dedede and Bandana Dee.

"Um…Great King…should I?" the Dee began before he was shushed by the king.

"Oi, Ledo." The monarch said. No reaction. "If you are that worried, I give you permission to gaze upon my brilliance!" he exclaimed almost smugly. Nothing. "Ugh, not even a sarcastic comment?" He stepped closer to the bed, attempting to make eye contact. "Oi, princess." Still nothing. "Daaaaamn, this is super serious if you're not even gonna react to that." He crossed his arms, trying to think of how to get a reaction out of him. "Um…Ledo, do you mind if we borrow Chamber for a bit?" Silence. "Hey tin can, can we borrow ya for a bit?"

"Use of equipment outside missions requires the ensign's authorization."

"So, we could then?"

"…I don't care."

"Ah! Great King! He spoke!"

Dedede laughed as he ruffled the young man's hair, to no reaction. "Alright, now for actual business." The king raised Ledo's head to look him in the eyes, pausing for a moment in surprise upon noticing his eyes were a bit duller than he remembered them being. "Mags called and told us that something ain't right with you. There's two ways we can go about this, the easy way an' the hard way. The easy way is you just tellin' me. The hard way is me forcing it out of you. Now, which is it going to be?" The young man stared back in silence.

"I believe I may be able to…"

"No need, Chamber…I'll do it." Ledo averted his eyes as he responded.

The knight had to act quickly. He didn't really trust Dedede to make this whole situation better, considering the fact that he rarely uses his brain-to-mouth filter. Upon approaching the entrance ramp, he could see the Meta Knights crowded in front of it, as if they were attempting to block someone off. He stowed his wings, turning them back into a cape and walked the rest of the way. As he approached, he began to recognize a particular scent made up of peroxide, rubbing alcohol, and disinfectant. There was only one person he knew that had that particular scent, and that made this situation even more dire.

"Allow me through." He said to Javelin Knight, who allowed him to the front.

It was a Bio Clan ninja, clad in dark green.

His suspicions were correct.

"Head Nurse Bio Gale, return to your station." He ordered.

"I have been told someone on this ship is ill. It is my duty as a doctor to see that they are cured." She replied coldly.

"Which one of you let her on the ship?" he sharply asked his subordinates.

"I'm sorry, sir! She said she'd dunk my head in a bucket of peroxide!" Sword Knight replied.

"Kirby notified me." She pointed to the pink puff standing behind her. He was clearly concerned.

Meta Knight shook his head. Bio Gale was a hell of a nurse, but she always swore that she would cure a patient even if it killed them. In other words, the last thing that Ledo needed right now.

"Head Nurse, this is a mental illness. Something you can't easily cure."

"If it's insomnia, I have tranquilizers."

"It is not insomnia and that is not the proper treatment of it!"

The other problem with her is that she tends to be hard to reason with, to the point where one would need infinite patience to do so. Normally, Meta Knight would have that, but now is not that time.

At this point, there seemed to be only one solution.

"OW! MY ARM!"

"Axe Knight?!" he turned around to see his subordinate holding his own arm.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Taking one for the team." He then continued "OH NOVA! IT HURTS!"

Meta Knight was slightly unsure if it would work for a moment until he saw Bio Gale get a targeting look in her eyes, like a predator homing in on their desired prey. It was the usual look she'd have upon hearing that there was a patient.

"Oh? An arm injury? We should take a look at that." she murmured, grabbing Axe Knight's other arm and dragging him off.

Everyone at the entrance saluted as he was dragged into the base.

"Nova speed, you glorious bastard. Nova speed." Trident Knight said while Meta Knight covered his student's ears.

The student and mentor then began to walk into the ship. "Meta-sensei, what's wrong with Ledo?"

"He's not in the best mindset right now."

"I know, when I was showing him some of my copy abilities, he just suddenly said he had to go talk to Magolor about something before leaving and then when I went to check on him, he said that he brought him back here! Can you tell me what's wrong with him?"

"It's a long story…but…" he paused for a moment to slip another lemon drop under his mask.

"Huh? You're starting to question your existence now that you found out the truth 'bout them Hideauze things?" Dedede asked.

Ledo nodded "What am I doing here? What is my purpose? For whose sake am I living? When did it begin? When I woke up beneath these foreign skies? When I first got into Chamber? Or when I first came into the world? These are all the thoughts I've been having…"

"Geez, some pretty heavy stuff then." The monarch scratched the back of his head.

Ledo silently continued to burn holes in the Hideauze claw.

"Look, I'm prolly the last guy ya wanna hear this from, but don't worry about all that existential stuff. You were born the day you were born, and you started living the day you were born. Simple as that."

The ensign stopped what he was doing.

"I don't think it can be that simple, Great King." Bandana commented.

"Maybe, but the point is shutting everybody out's just gonna hurt him more! Besides, he shouldn't worry about it anymore, since he said that's happenin' in another dimension it ain't his problem anymore."

Visions of the videos and nightmares flashed back through Ledo's head, causing his hands to tremble and drop the claw he had been working on. He threw his pistol on the ground, and buried his face in his hand, trembling as his breathing grew heavy. Dedede silently sat next to him and placed the young man's head on his shoulder. He expected a comment, but there was none. That was when the door to his room opened and he felt himself be tackled from his left side. He slowly gazed over to see that it was Kirby.

"Everything will be fine…" the puff sounded like he was trying to keep himself from crying.

"Ensign. I have received further data from Magolor. While retrieving the data, he has discovered some information that confirms that the Hideauze are the result of augmented human evolution." Chamber spoke up, causing Ledo to jump off his bed in anger.

"Why are you telling me that?! That just means I've been fighting a whole war that was completely pointless!"

"Your understanding is logically unsound."

"Oi, tin can, shut your trap!"

"If the Hideauze were evolved humans, why should I have been fighting them!? If there's no reason to do so, I can't…I can't kill those living beings…" he collapsed to the floor.

"Unacceptable."

"Ya want me to turn you into scrap metal, tin can?!"

"Let him speak." The knight halted him.

"Your understanding denies both your existence and mine."

"You saw the video, right?! Mankind is fighting against itself in that dimension! That's the truth!"

"That does not warrant a cession of the Hideauze's annihilation."

"For you, maybe, but to me…"

"Negative, preventing the extinction of the human race was your only mission."

"Chamber, just shut up! I'm sick of the Alliance's propaganda!"

"Negative, my parallel link to the Alliance has been severed. This is the conclusion I have drawn from my own available data. Mankind and the Hideauze will never come to an understanding because they have rejected civilization itself. If mankind had exoskeletons like the Hideauze, there would be no need for them to develop Machine Calibers. My system is a product of mankind's knowledge and necessity to augment their weak bodies. It is surmised that mankind advanced their intellect and founded civilization to overcome their own limitations. It means that mankind stands at the apex of all creation."

"Yeah, the hell that got to do with us?!"

"However, the Hideauze have abandoned all of this for the sake of satisfying their own well-being and desires as a biological creature. Such things do not require a high level of intelligence. Machine Calibers are the only way for mankind to remain itself. We are the result of pure knowledge given birth by civilization. This is the same knowledge abandoned by the Hideauze, turning them into the culmination of biological beings."

"Who cares!?"

"Meta-sensei, what's he saying?"

"…I believe that he is saying that the Hideauze are the ultimate lifeforms."

"He has the nerve to say that after meeting Kirby!?"

"Of course, I am referring to the original dimension the ensign and I have come from. If we are to return, ensign, you must fight with me for the dignity of mankind. In a conflict where creatures are fundamentally the same, defeat is the same as annihilation. Ultimately, it is a battle where the loser will fall prey to natural selection. If you wish to survive, you have no choice."

"…so, you're compelling me to fight if we return? You, a machine, are telling me, a human, what to do?"

"I am but an interface system that supports and oversees the development of pilots. I exist solely to set you up for success."

"Then let me remind you that YOU SHOULDN'T WORRY ABOUT THIS ANYMORE 'CUZ YOU'RE IN A DIFFERENT DIMENSION!" Dedede's yelling caused the others in the room to stumble over. "Look, here, tin can, you're all like "civilization this" and "natural selection that", but ya keep forgetting that all this don't matter anymore 'cuz you an' Ledo ain't going back! Why am I the one saying this!?"

"Negative, I believe that this conversation is relevant to the current situation."

"Wha?"

"Query: would you be able to fight if it was to defend this planet, ensign?" Ledo, who had picked himself up to a kneeling position, froze upon hearing that. "I recall that Kirby has talked about defeating beings such as Nightmare, Dark Matter, Zero, Sectonia, Haltmann, and several other beings that one could argue would create a situation similar to the Hideauze and humans. What would you do if you were required to defeat them?"

He paused. "Wait…but isn't there a difference…they clearly are…" his eyes began to widen in realization, before he simply looked down at the floor. "I don't know…" That was the only answer he could give. The more he tried to justify defeating them, the more he began to feel like a hypocrite, especially when he remembered what he was told about Queen Sectonia and President Haltmann.

"You walkin' piece a' scrap iron, when I get over there, I'm gonna atomize you so bad they won't know what's what of ya anymore!" Dedede was about to run out the door when Bandana grabbed him to keep him from moving.

"Great king! Now isn't the time to lose your cool! You have to calm down!"

"Quit tryin' to stop me, Bandana! I ain't gonna feel any better until I pulverize him!"

"I'm bothered by what I've heard, to, but you have to calm down before you do something you'll regret!" The king huffed as he came to a stop and crossed his arms, seemingly angry that his subordinate stopped him. Though it was probably for the better, since Chamber could move without a pilot.

Meta Knight could only stare quietly at the ensign. While it wasn't obvious due to his cape being wrapped around himself, his eyes had turned grass-green and his visible body language seemed to indicate that he was concerned, slipping another lemon drop under his mask.

Strangely, Kirby was quiet while all of this was happening.

Normally, he'd be the first to say something in a situation like this.

Dedede was the first to break the silence after a few minutes. He took Ledo's chin in his hand and raised it so he could look him in the eye while talking to him.

"Listen up, kid, you can just rest. No matter what that tin can says, there's no reason for you to fight! And if this planet comes under attack? So what! We've got Kirby, and…as much as I hate to admit it…he's the ultimate weapon against dudes like Dark Matter and that. You don't need to worry that cute little head of yours over this! If you wanna fight, I ain't gonna stop you." He gave a smile as he ruffled the ensign's hair.

The next to speak was Bandana Dee.

"Ledo, I know everything you just heard was awful, and I think it's awful as well. You were pretty much told to your face that everything you've built your life around was a lie to force you into fighting a war you'd want nothing to do with otherwise. If I were you, I'd be all kinds of confused and upset!"

The ensign gazed silently at him.

"I know what you're thinking. Ledo, you aren't a monster! You're nothing like Dark Matter, or Nightmare, or Sectonia, or Haltmann! The fact that you're struggling like this is proof of that! All of those baddies Kirby took down had no empathy to the point where they'd hurt the people who cared about them just to get what they desired! Think about it, ever since you landed here, have you purposely harmed someone who cared about you just to get what you desire?"

He began to think. While he did pull his pistol out on others a few times, it was because he was afraid for his own safety or the safety of those around him. There were the tests to join the Halberd crew, but he was ordered to fight in those, so they didn't count when it came to self-decided actions like what Bandana was talking about. Other than that, he never directly harmed anybody! Upon finishing their discussion. Dedede and Bandana sat next to him.

That was when Meta Knight began to speak.

"Ensign Ledo…no, Ledo, while I understand the importance of fighting against threats, I don't think you should be forced to fight against your will. I know, this is rich coming from someone who once tried to take over Dreamland as an attempt to force others to fight, but I've changed since then and realized why that's wrong."

He walked to the ensign's opposite side, as if to block Dedede and Bandana's view. The reason was for that was soon obvious when he lifted his mask to show a serious expression.

"Ledo. Remember what I told you about my mechanization. While it's hardly the same situation, I understand what you are feeling right now. Anger… sadness… confusion… I understand it all too well. You don't have to fight if you don't want to but remember that there will always be a place for you here on the Halberd." He gave a gentle smile before lowering his mask.

The last to speak up was Kirby, who now stood in front of the young man.

"Ledo, do you know why I fight? It's because it's the right thing to do. Even if I'm mistaken about what's going on or if someone is tricking me, I still do what I think is best. I don't like fighting…at least when it's not a game… but I do it anyway, even though there's a chance I could get hurt, or worse!"

The young man seemed to avert his eyes.

"I honestly know how you feel right now! You're lost and don't know what to do! I felt the same way when Marx and Magolor betrayed me, I actually began to doubt if I should help people again! And then I had a similar feeling recently when I fought Void…and staring back at me was…my own face…" puff wiped his eyes a bit before taking one of Ledo's hands. "I think what I'm trying to say is…you can fight without becoming a monster! Not only that, but you have friends all around you! That's why I've been able to do all these crazy things! Because I have my friends!" To his surprise, the puff then tackled him in a hug. "You don't have to deal with this alone, Ledo! Let me help you!" he trembled a bit, as if crying.

The ensign silently returned it. "…thank you."

The young man could feel Dedede put a hand on his opposite shoulder while Meta Knight and Bandana continued to sit next to him.

Of course. That was the answer.

"Chamber…I would fight…not for the sake of survival or dignity of the human race, but to protect those I care about."

"Is that so, ensign?"

"Yes. After everything I have learned today, I don't think all the villains who attacked Popstar in the past were defeated because natural selection had taken place as you had implied. I think they were defeated because they had nothing to back themselves up with. Unbeatable strength and technology can only get you so far. Kirby was able to beat all of them because he had people supporting him and a desire to protect them. At least, that's what I believe."

There was a moment of silence.

"…ultimately, it is your decision what you fight for, ensign. As I have told you, my only duty is to help you succeed in your mission."

He knew that. What exactly would his mission be now?

That was when Meta Knight cleared his throat "Machine Caliber Chamber! As Ensign Ledo is a member of the Meta-Knights, you are by extension under our command! The ensign's current mission is "protect the peace of Popstar with his allies"! As an AI designed to assist their pilot in whatever their mission is, will you assist us?!"

There was a pause.

"If that is what Ensign Ledo's new mission is, I shall continue to assist him as long as I am able to."

"Thank you, Chamber…and everyone else, thanks for your support…"

"Especially me, right? 'Cuz I was the one helpin' you out here the longest, right princess?" Dedede tousled his hair.

"I thought I already told you not to call me that!" he quickly tried to fix his hair, which had been growing progressively messier due to stress and Dedede ruffling it.

"The old Ledo's back!" Bandana cheered as he hugged him.

"You don't need to thank me, ensign. Just remember what I said, if you're having any problems, talk to me." The knight replied.

"Just talk to me as well! You know I'll always help you if you need it!" Kirby exclaimed as he continued to hug him.

"Again, thank you for your support, everyone. I really appreciate it." He shifted a bit on his legs.

"Somethin' wrong?"

"I…I think my legs fell asleep." he swore he heard Meta Knight, Dedede, and Bandana suppress a laugh.

"Then you should stop kneeling!"

Right. He probably should.

"Meta-sensei, is it fine if I stay here for the night? I'm still worried about how Ledo will be…" Kirby spoke up.

"That's fine, but I…"

"You have my permission, Kirby. I shall be keeping watch over him tonight as well."

"Lord Meta Knight?!"

Dedede huffed "Well, I guess if my rival and MK are sleepin' over here, I guess I'll join in! By the time we get back to the castle it'll be way too late anyway!"

"That's right, sire!"

"But where will all of you sleep?!"

"We'll worry about that later! I want dinner now!"

"Huh?! This late!?"

Wait, what time was it anyway?

"Chamber, what time is it?"

"It is currently 20:33, ensign."

"Huh? I don't think it's that late." Kirby mumbled.

"Same here!" Dedede added.

"No meal is too late for you two…you see what I have to deal with, ensign?"

"Good grief…"

Bandana Dee then spoke up. "Wait, would they even have stuff to eat for us at this time?"

"Well, they better! Be plenty rude not to greet the king with a banquet!" Dedede yelled.

"I really need some food right now; I haven't eaten since lunch…" Kirby mumbled.

Meta Knight looked as if he was thinking. "How about Bandana and I make us something with what we can find in the kitchen?"

Hearing that made Kirby immediately perk up "Are you going to make a dessert, Meta-sensei?!"

"Not today. We'll have a nice breakfast tomorrow."

"Fiiiine…"

The group then exited the room.

In the main hangar of the Halberd, the audio feed abruptly cut off on Chamber's cockpit screen.

"I'm happy that everything's okay now!" Sailor Dee smiled.

"So, his new mission is "protect his allies", is it?" Captain Vul breathed out some smoke from his pipe.

"Affirmative."

"An' you're gonna stick around for that?"

"Affirmative."

"Well, I guess I better get used to your presence, tin can."

"Query: is my presence not that obvious?"

"It is to me, but I think that's mostly because I'm in the inner hanger a lot of the time…" Sailor Dee sighed.

"It is, but I'm still not used to it." The avian captain shook his head.

"Query: Why did you have me play audio of what was going on in the ensign's room, Captain Vul?"

There was another breath of smoke. "Hey, I'm concerned for the kid after how he was acting. Normally I wouldn't do this, but I couldn't help it." Even then, he felt a bit bad for spying on them.

"I do not detect any failure in your logic."

"Yeah, I was worried, too. It was weird seeing him be like that." Sailor Dee commented.

There was a moment of silence.

"By the way, you know what happened to Axe Knight?" Vul questioned.

"He went down in the most noble way, sacrificing himself to Head Nurse Bio Gale for the sake of the ensign." Sailor Dee saluted.

"Ah…indeed, he was a good soldier. He will be missed."

"From the little interaction I have had with him, agreed."

"You guys do know I'm still alive, right?"

"Sometimes I can still hear his voice."

"…if you don't stop with this, imma get to chopping."

Night fell over Orange Ocean and it appeared that Kirby, Bandana Dee, Meta Knight, and King Dedede were keeping their word. Even if it meant that the group was sleeping on the floor together. With everyone being in close proximity to one another, one thing came to mind.

"You guys do know I have to get up early tomorrow?" Ledo asked, remembering his maintenance duties.

"Ensign, I order you to sleep in for once…" the knight mumbled.

"Roger. I will not wake the ensign up early tomorrow."

"CHAMBER?!"

"Shut up and sleep, princess…"

"Do. Not. Call. Me. That."

"Enooough! Let me sleep!" They probably should go to sleep before Kirby became crabby.

"…good night everyone."

"Good night, ensign."

"Night, princess…OW!"

"Sweet dreams…"

"Mmh…nighty night…" the room became silent as he fell asleep.

"And thank you again…"

This might be one of my favorite chapters. It's a bit on the heavy side, but I think I handled it well.

I really think that Dedede really shines in this particular chapter and I enjoyed writing him.

Bio Gale is an OC from my short Kirby mangas that I post on Twitter.