Chapter 19: Return to Dreamland
"Measuring brainwaves…no abnormalities in basic rhythms detected. Ensign Ledo, awakening confirmed. Revival successful."
The young man opened his eyes to the sound of his machine's operating system, a splitting headache, and a vague feeling of déjà vu.
"Cham…ber…?" he uttered.
"In accordance with emergency protocol, I have preserved your bodily functions via cryostasis. One thousand four hundred forty-seven minutes have passed." Chamber responded.
"How long is that…?" Ledo asked, groggily shaking his head.
"Approximately one day has passed since you lost consciousness."
"I…lost consciousness…? For a whole day?! How!?"
"Affirmative. Do you remember anything that happened, ensign?"
When Chamber said that, his memories of the battle with Striker came flooding back to him. "We destroyed Striker and caused the Hyper Zone to vanish, didn't we?"
"Affirmative."
"And…I used neuro-plus power?"
"Affirmative. I severed its connection one second before your vital signs failed. However, the strain on your body from this sudden severing was still enough to cause you to pass out. I have performed a medical examination shortly before you awakened, and your body has recovered from the neuromechanical merge by about 78%. I do not recommend performing any activities that require strenuous movement until you have fully recovered."
That likely means he won't be able to do any maintenance on the ship for a while. He suddenly remembered the panicked screaming as he fell unconscious.
"What about the others?"
"Outside of being concerned for you, they escaped from the Hyper Zone safely."
That helped to put his nerves at ease at least. "So, where are we now?"
"We are currently on the front of the battleship Halberd. I have notified the bridge about your awakening and the status of your health."
"We're not in the inner hanger then?" he opened up his helmet. The screens on the cockpit activated to show the always-setting sun of Orange Ocean.
"Negative. Lord Meta Knight wished to speak to you on top of the ship. I hypothesize that this is because it is a more solitary place to speak."
"Lord Meta Knight…" a pit began to develop in his stomach.
Whatever the knight wanted to talk about, it almost definitely wasn't going to be a good thing. He just knew it.
Ledo continued to carve the Hideauze claw in silence. All he could do was wait for Meta Knight to show up. There was no doubt that this was going to be about what he said during the battle with Striker within the Hyper Zone. It was going to be a stern lecture at least and a berating, angry rant at most.
"Lord Meta Knight is approaching, ensign."
With a troubled sigh, the ensign returned his pistol and claw to his pocket. Upon exiting the cockpit and being lowered down by Chamber, he saw the knight was the only person waiting for him on deck with his cape wrapped around himself. It helped to hammer in the idea that he wanted to talk to the ensign alone. How he was able to convince people as stubborn as Kirby and King Dedede was anyone's guess. Out of habit, the young man knelt to put himself more at eye level. The two stared at each other in silence. It didn't take long for Ledo to break eye contact. He honestly felt too ashamed to look his superior in the eyes, especially with how judgmental they can feel at times like now. Shortly after, the knight slowly began to walk over.
"...Lord Meta Knight, I..." a sharp pain burst through his cheek and it took him a moment to realize that he had just been slapped.
"Saying things like 'We don't belong on this peaceful planet' and that you don't care if you die? What... what the hell were you thinking!?" the knight was visibly trembling as his eyes began to flicker to red.
"It's as I said, I'm no different from Striker and don't..."
"That's not an excuse! Did you forget what I told you!?" His voice became shakier, as if his usual calm demeanor was beginning to crumble the more he spoke.
"...no matter what happens, I'll always be part of your crew." He was still unable to look him directly in the eyes out of shame. "But...after what Striker did I..."
There was a sudden clattering that drew his attention, followed by silence as the ensign stared shocked at the puff's now-exposed face. His expression was that of dire concern.
"Ensign…no, Ledo…no matter what happened in your past, you are part of my crew and my crew is my family." To the young man's surprise, tears began to roll down his face. "And as my family, if you died out there, I...I... I'D NEVER BE ABLE TO FORGIVE MYSELF!"
Ledo was silent. There was only one thing he could think of to do at this point. He bowed deeply towards him.
"...I'm sorry, sir..."
The young man was worried about how he would respond. Would this just make him angry? He knew he was mostly worried but…
"…raise your head."
"…Lord Meta Knight?"
"Raise your head."
Not wanting to potentially anger him further than he likely had, he did as he was told.
"Ensign...welcome home..." his tearful, yet joyful smile framed against the orange sea was something the young man would never forget.
He returned it with his own, one that shined brighter than it ever had.
"...it's good to be home, Lord Meta Knight."
After bringing Chamber inside the main hanger, Ledo exited the cockpit and hopped onto the floor of the main hanger. The blue puff waited for him to catch up as they began to walk to the bridge.
"The crew is anxious to see you again, especially Vul and Sailor Dee."
"…I assume what happened up there is to stay between us, Lord Meta Knight?"
There was a brief stutter before a slightly embarrassed answer "…y-yes…" he seemed to be slightly surprised by how fast the young man had caught on.
Suddenly, the ensign stopped moving.
"…what's wrong, Ledo?"
Before he got an answer, he caught a familiar pink ball precisely in his hands.
"Hello, Kirby." He gave a smile as he pulled him closer.
The puff suddenly became teary eyed and started hitting him on the forehead with both of his stubs. Thankfully, it wasn't too painful, likely because he didn't have a copy ability.
"STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!"
"Ow…ow…who are you saying that to?!"
"YOU AND CHAMBER! BOTH OF YOU! I…" the child's yelling slowly transitioned into sobbing. "I…I was worried that both of you would… you would…" as if frustrated with his own inability to properly express his thoughts, the puff threw himself into the young man's chest and just continued to cry. As if slightly confused about what to do in this situation, he awkwardly put an arm around Kirby, slightly rubbing his head with his other hand.
"I do not understand why he was calling me stupid."
"I'll explain later, Chamber…" he gave a sigh.
"YOU MORON!" both the ensign and the knight staggered a bit forward when they heard that shout.
"What the…ACK!" Ledo felt himself being suddenly crushed in a bear hug. There was no doubt who it was. "You idiot! How dare you and your tin can go off trying to die without my permission!"
He could've sworn he heard his back crack. "Dedede…stop…my…my back…"
"King Dedede, please refrain from using too much strength when handling Ensign Ledo. His central nervous system has not yet fully recovered from the neuromechanical merge."
"Central neuro what now?! Say it in a language I can speak!"
"Weren't you there when Susie and Chamber explained?"
"Ya really think I'm gonna understand a lick of what that lady and tin can are sayin'!?"
"Simply put, that neuro-plus system enhances Chamber's combat ability by connecting directly to Ledo's brain and spinal cord. Nova help me if you don't know what the brain and spinal cord are…"
"I know what the brain and spinal cord are! Whaddya think I am, dumb or somethin'?!"
"Dedede…stop… crushing…"
"Do you really want me to answer that?"
"Lessen your strength or unhand the ensign immediately. This is your final warning."
"Alright! Alright! I get it! Sheesh, talk about pushy…"
The young man felt a bit better after his grip was loosened.
"A bunch of the others was sayin' you were dead! Tell ya what, I didn't believe 'em 'cuz you knew you couldn't die unless I say so!"
Even though he sighed in response, the young man knew that was just the king's way of saying that he cared about him. Another set of arms wrapped around his leg. He lifted it and pulled off Bandana Dee, who promptly joined Kirby in crying into his chest.
"You were worried about me as well, Bandana?" there was only a silent nod.
"Yeah…Bandana cried so much he lost his voice." Dedede explained.
"Ah…"
"I know you three are excited to see him, but the rest of my crew is waiting for him." The knight sighed.
"Eh? Then we'll just have to come with him! Besides, I don't think you're getting Bandana and that pink lump off of him anytime soon!"
"Fair enough."
Honestly, the ensign didn't mind it at all. It made him feel a bit more at home.
Upon entering the bridge, he felt another tackle on his leg, nearly causing him to lose balance. Thankfully, Dedede was behind him to help catch him.
"LEDOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!"
"Ah! Sailor! Watch it! My balance!"
"Welcome back, kid." In front of the ship's wheel, Captain Vul gave him a sort of toast with his pipe and a grin.
"It's good to be back, Captain Vul." he was about to salute in response, but stopped when he realized his hands were full. He then noticed the avian captain seemed to be examining him.
"Really looks like you've grown a lot."
"I thought so as well." Meta Knight added with a nod.
"I don't think my body can grow that much in a few days, sir…"
"I don't mean like that, kid. You beat that bag of bolts Striker and its fake Kugel on your own. Seeing how insanely powerful that thing was, I can imagine even some of the strongest warriors would be intimidated by it. Takes a whole lotta courage to do something like that, I think."
"Is…that so…?" there seemed to be a bit of depression in his voice.
"Oh…uh…sorry about that, I guess talking 'bout Kugel might still be a sensitive issue for you."
The young man hesitated a moment before speaking again. "…I don't really know what the Lieutenant Colonel was thinking when he came up with that idea for his society…but I rejected it. So I could live as a human."
Vul gave a slight laugh. "Wonderful. I can't wait to see how far you'll go, kid."
"Yeah."
"I believe I heard something about you not being fully healed." A familiar kunoichi appeared next to the young man startling him.
"Head Nurse Bio Gale, for the last time, you are forbidden from treating the ensign right now."
"Are you saying I'm not allowed to do my job, Lord Meta Knight?" she gave a cold glare towards him.
"No, I'm saying I don't trust you to be careful with him right now."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Head Nurse Bio Gale, the area that requires healing is the central nervous system. The ensign has currently been making progress by simply resting and refraining from participating in strenuous activities."
Hearing that seemed to make the nurse think for a moment. "…the central nervous system, huh…" she uttered in a low voice, her eyes seeming to scan over the ensign.
"Do. Not." The knight punctuated sternly, knowing very well that tone.
"While it is against my oath as a doctor, just this once I will overlook this."
The young man seemed to heave a sigh of relief.
"However. If you show any signs that your condition is worsening, come see me immediately."
"Ms. Gale, please don't hurt him…" Kirby uttered.
Her gaze seemed to soften. "I don't plan on it."
Just as suddenly as she appeared, she vanished. The ensign had been on the ship long enough to know that she was merely hiding in the shadows nearby.
"Well, now that that's out of the way…Sword Knight, Blade Knight!"
"Sir!" the two knights said with a salute.
"Bring the rest of the Meta-Knights here!"
"Yes, sir!" After giving a brief wave towards Ledo, the two subordinates exited the room. "Um…about the other Meta-Knights, sir…are you sure they'll be fine with me being back?"
"Do not worry about that."
"He raked them over the coals while you were unconscious." Vul rubbed the back of his head. "I honestly don't remember the last time I saw him be so furious."
Meta Knight seemed to slightly advert his eyes.
"It was horrifying…" Sailor Dee squeaked. Remembering the several brief moments he's seen the knight show genuine anger towards him, Ledo couldn't help but feel a bit bad for them. After a couple of minutes, the other Meta-Knights entered the bridge.
"Sir, you ordered us to come here?" Mace Knight asked, saluting alongside the other members. He turned his head towards the young man "Ah! Ensign Ledo! Good to see you're finally awake."
"Thank you, Mace Knight."
"We were a bit worried after we heard about how that neuromechanical merge worked."
"I appreciate it, Javelin Knight."
He turned to notice that Axe Knight and Trident Knight looked particularly tense and were trembling, almost unable to look either their lord or the ensign in the eyes. They jumped upon hearing their leader clear his throat.
"Well, don't you two have something you wish to say?" The knight asked with an obvious edge to his tone.
Axe Knight gave a slight cough before speaking. "Um, well…it's…it's good to have you back?"
"Y-yeah what he said." Trident Knight added.
"Quit wasting all of our time and say it already." Meta Knight suddenly pointed his sword at his two subordinates, startling them.
"Ok! Ok! Ledo, we're sorry for how we treated you!"
"And we're glad that you're safe!"
"Please forgive us!" the two knights bowed towards the ensign.
"Um…Lord Meta Knight, I appreciate it, but you didn't need to force them to apologize…"
"Such behavior is inexcusable. I will not tolerate it." He glared towards the two subordinates. "Isn't that right, Axe Knight and Trident Knight?"
"Yes, sir! We're sorry, sir!"
Meta Knight only sighed "Words cannot describe how disappointed I am in you two for such behavior…"
"It will not happen again, sir!"
"I think they understand, Lord Meta Knight…" Ledo managed to get a word in. His superior exhaled deeply, as if trying to calm himself down. For a moment, Mace Knight seemed to mumble something to Javelin Knight.
"Negative, Mace Knight. Due to how close his vitals were to failing after utilizing the neuromechanical merge, Ensign Ledo's body still needs to recover and is therefore on mandatory rest from maintenance."
The four knights gave an audible scream of dread and shock.
"Why are you so surprised? Weren't you here when Chamber was explaining that?" Vul questioned.
"I didn't think it was that serious!"
"I HEARD SCREAMING!" The four Meta-Knights screamed even louder upon Bio Gale's appearance and promptly bolted out the room.
"WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?! ON MY OATH AS A DOCTOR, I SWEAR I WILL CURE YOU! DO YOU NOT KNOW THE MEANING OF "I SHALL BE LOYAL TO MY WORK AND DEVOTED TOWARDS THE WELFARE OF THOSE COMMITTED TO MY CARE"!? she raced after them.
"Why were they screaming?" Dedede asked.
"It's better if you don't know…"
"He can injure himself if he wants to find out so badly." Vul uttered, readying a tranquilizer gun.
"It's better if he doesn't know."
"Yup." The captain gave a nod before following after the knights and head nurse.
Dedede was slightly confused by their statements but merely shrugged it off. "Ok, now that we know the princess is safe, I say we throw a party!"
Kirby and Bandana both immediately perked up upon hearing that. "A PARTY!"
"Please don't call me that…"
"I believe such words are ineffective, ensign."
"Dedede, I'm not sure that's a good idea with Ledo's condition."
"Huh? But Meta-sensei, doesn't he just have to not work really hard?"
"Considering how some of our allies can be and how Dedede's hug was hurting his back, no."
"LET ME FINISH TALKING FOR ME'S SAKE!" the king shouted before clearing his throat and continuing. "We're gonna have the party in 7 days. That'll give the Waddle Dees plenty of time to prepare the castle, Bandana plenty of time for his voice to recover, Kawasaki plenty of time to prepare the food, and, most importantly, plenty of time for the princess to rest. Happy?"
"In that case, then I have no issues."
"Agreed. I do not see any flaws in your logic."
The monarch gave a satisfied grin. "Great! Come on, Bandana! Let's tell all the other Dees what's going on!" The Waddle Dee in question gave a nod and hopped down, following after him.
"I'll let the rest of the knights know. Sword Knight, Blade Knight, come with me."
"Yes, sir!" Meta Knight turned to the Waddle Dee still attached to Ledo's leg. "Come on, Sailor Dee. We have to go after them. I'm sure Vul would like the extra help wrangling our head nurse…" The Dee gave a nod and followed after them.
This left Kirby and Ledo to remain in the room in silence.
"Hey Kirby." the young man spoke up, sitting down as the pink puff continued to hold on to him. "Not that I'm ungrateful or anything…but is there a reason you were so determined to stop Chamber from self-destructing? Besides Chamber being your friend."
The pink puff looked up at him and hesitated to speak for a moment. "Do you remember Susie mentioning how the Haltmann Works Company once mechanized all of Dreamland?"
"I believe I do…it was when I met her at that café."
"Well…the mother computer of that company was a Clockwork Star named Star Dream. Star Dream had determined all organic lifeforms to be inefficient and wanted to eliminate all of them within the universe. So, I used the Robobot Armor's copy ability to copy the Halberd and go after it since it flew into space."
"Robobot Armor?"
"It's what I called the Invader Armor borrowed from the Haltmann Works company. Susie says it can change based on whoever uses it, so that's probably why it can scan enemies and change into various modes like my copy ability."
"That's… quite amazing…"
"I know! Plus, she said that whenever I would register as a pilot of one, its memory data would link and carry over to the next unit, making it just like the very first one I piloted! But…to continue...I copied the Halberd to go after Star Dream, and we managed to destroy it! But…" his tone became slightly more depressed.
"I don't really remember what happened after that, since Star Dream's explosion made me fall unconscious, but when I woke up, I was back on Popstar and I saw that it was back to normal! But…I heard what happened from Meta Knight when I met up with him on the Halberd shortly after. The damaged Robobot Armor…apparently removed me from the controls and sent me back to Popstar…how I got on the ground was probably because Meta Knight helped me, but…" his voice quivered a bit as the tears began again.
"The Robobot Armor…was my friend and…the more I thought about you and Chamber, the more I…when I thought Chamber was going to self-destruct…I…I…" the puff's sobs cut himself off, as if both saddened by the memory and his inability to properly express it. "I…I'm so sorry… Meta Knight keeps saying I need to learn to stop cutting myself off like this when I'm explaining things but…"
"You were reminded of what happened to the Robobot Armor?"
The puff weakly nodded.
"…while I do not fully understand the logic that leads to such a thought process, I can understand that this is something that is of great value to you."
"Uh-huh…"
"However, rest assured that my duty is not over until Ledo has succeeded in his current mission."
"Uh-huh…"
"Query: Are you paying attention?"
"Uh-huh…"
"What was the last word Chamber said, Kirby?"
"…" noticing the puff's unresponsiveness coupled with a faint sob, the young man quickly thought of a solution.
"How about we go get some air for a bit?"
He received a faint nod in reply.
The near-perpetual sunset and the salty breeze of Orange Ocean was just the thing needed to help clear Ledo's mind. It also seemed to calm Kirby down, as his sobbing had become more sparing. Honestly, seeing Kirby act like that during his explanations of events that saddened him often forces the ensign to remember that, despite some of the so-called miracles he's performed, the hero was still a child. Perhaps that child-like innocence was why he was able to befriend so many people, including those who had once betrayed, tried to harm or even kill him. It's something that amazed him anytime he thought about it.
"...thank you."
Kirby looked up at him questioningly. "For?"
"Everything."
The pink puff paused for a moment. "No, thank you and Chamber."
"Query: For what reason?"
"...what for?"
He was met with a smile that sparkled like the stars "For being my friends!"
The young man could only smile back in response.
"Yeah..."
It didn't take long for the day of the party to come. Part of it may have been because Meta Knight was keeping Ledo busy by teaching him reading and writing during his rest period, but the young man didn't mind it at all. Looking around the balcony and into the castle interior indicated that there was a large crowd. Part of the large crowd came from Kirby's Helper friends showing up and the other part was the Waddle Dees acting as servers. It was beautifully decorated, but that was likely something that was expected. Honestly, it made him wish that he wore something nicer than his pilot suit despite Dedede saying not to worry about dressing formally.
"Ensign Ledo, do you plan on walking around?" Part of the reason why part of the event was outside was to allow Chamber to be there as well.
"I will at some point. But...it's awfully crowded...maybe I should...Dedede's going to be on me if I just sit here the whole time..."
"I leave the decision up to you, ensign."
"I know."
Knowing him and Kirby, they were already making work of the buffet table, with Meta Knight sighing at them in annoyance while Bandana yelled at them for it.
"The night air really helps clear your mind, doesn't it?"
"I guess. I just thought it was a bit stuffy in there..." Magolor and Taranza stepped up next to him.
"Ah! Ledo! I knew you'd come around eventually!" the blue mage chirped with a smile.
"Says the guy who was out back crying while digging a grave with Marx..."
Magolor jolted. "Um...that wasn't a grave. That was a... hole for a drinking well! Yes! A hole for a drinking well!"
Both the spider mage and the young man stared at him in suspicion.
"Okay! Okay! It was a grave! I was worried you died!"
"Glad to see you have so much faith in him, Magolor..."
"Shush, you!"
"Regardless of your actions, I appreciate your concern for me."
"I agree."
"Ah! Thank you, so much! I told you I can be a nice guy, yes?"
"Other than previously accessing data considered classified..."
"THAT WASN'T MY FAULT! YOU BOTH WERE THE ONES WHO TOLD ME TO TRANSLATE IT!"
"Affirmative. However, you still agreed to it and therefore there is some responsibility on your part."
"Gag me..." he briefly looked at the young man for a moment. "So... uh..." he handed Ledo a flower greatly resembling that of the Dreamstalk's. It took a moment for Ledo to piece together what it meant.
"I appreciate your concern as well, Taranza."
"Yeah...just...don't do this again, you hear!? I don't think my heart can take anymore shocks like that!" he grumbled.
"I'll try. No promises, though."
Taranza looked as if he was about to say something, but only gave a sigh in response.
"Oh, by the way, I thought I'd give you a heads up, but you might want to head inside now if you want something to eat. It's going quickly and it'll be a while until the cooks can make some more."
"Is it because of Dedede and Kirby?"
"Yup."
It was just as he expected. He probably should have something.
As Ledo entered the building, he could make out clearly where the buffet table was. It was close to the table that Dedede and Kirby were scarfing down their food at. Just then, he noticed what seemed to be a dark blue orb out of the corner of his eye. But as he turned towards it, he saw no sign of it being there. Then he looked directly above him and saw Gooey...sticking to the ceiling.
"Gooey?"
The moment the blob heard the young man say his name, he dropped straight down into Ledo's arms.
"Ah, Ledo! Gooey is happy to see you! Gooey was worried! ...Gooey thinks."
"You think you were worried?"
"Maybe." The blob said with an unchanging expression. The young man sighed. For someone like Gooey, that was a typical response.
"Well, I'm happy to see you, too, Gooey. By the way, could you tell me what you were doing on the ceiling?"
"Gooey was looking for food, Gooey thinks."
The ensign was easily able to mentally translate what this meant. "Well, the food is over there. You should get over there before Kirby and Dedede eat it all." He turned towards the table to show him.
"Gooey thanks you, Ledo."
Then the blob used his tongue to grapple back to the ceiling and started walking towards the food. Speaking of which, it seemed about time for him to grab some for himself. He had heard several good things about Kawasaki's cooking from Dedede and wanted to try it for himself.
Luckily, he was able to find somewhere to sit despite the large crowd. The young man wouldn't have minded sitting with Kirby and Dedede, but they were already preoccupied with stuffing themselves and getting yelled at by Bandana Dee. Taranza would have probably been there, too, but he likely got a migraine from constant shouting. Meta Knight was probably with Bandana so he could restrain the two if needed. Knowing his sweet tooth, it was probably also so he'd have quick access to the dessert buffet when it's served. Well...he should probably start eating before his food got cold. When he went to take a bite of his meal, he noticed his fork was missing.
"What? I don't think I dropped my fork." Ledo quickly looked next to him. No one.
"Wait a minute..." He looked behind him. "Daroach was that you?"
The thief tipped his hat brim. "Hey, kid, good to see you again. It's good to see that you're still in one piece. That alone is worth celebrating, no?"
The young man gave a nod. "It's good to see you, too, Daroach, but why did you take my fork?"
The thief briefly twirled the utensil on one of his fingers. "A test, and you passed. Wanted to see if you kept those reflexes and observation skills of yours. Plus, you owe me, remember?" With a swift movement, the thief took a bite of Ledo's meal. "And now we're even."
"What about Lord Meta Knight? Doesn't he also owe you?"
"He does. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about that. I'd like to save that for when I need it." Daroach gave a sly grin. "Well, gotta go, parties aren't really my thing. Well, unless I'm stealing from one. See you later, kid." And just like that, he vanished. Thankfully, there was another fork to replace the one that had been used.
"Chamber, what do you think Daroach is going to have Meta Knight do for him?"
"Hypothesis: it is insurance for when he requires assistance again."
"That sounds reasonable. I was thinking he was going to ask him for treasure or something like that, but I think Daroach would rather steal it himself."
"There is no failure in that logic."
He gave a nod.
Finally, it was time to eat.
Kawasaki's cooking was just as good as Dedede had said. As much as Ledo wanted to go grab a second helping, there was still dessert and he had to still keep in top physical shape for maintenance and pilot duties. He had only been able to walk around the ship the past few days if he wanted to exercise. That was when the young man decided to explore more of this part of the castle. He hadn't been in Dedede's castle often, with the last time being a few weeks ago, when he came to visit with Meta Knight. Even then, he wasn't able to explore it in depth. As he began to walk towards the hallway, he noticed someone standing by the wall. It was Susie. She was watching the party with a forlorn look on her face.
"Hello there."
The secretary immediately perked up. "Oh, hello Ledo. It's good to see that you're alive and well."
He leaned against the wall next to her to continue talking. "Same to you. What's the matter? Not enjoying the party?"
"Oh no! The party is great! It's just that… well..." she fidgeted a bit.
It didn't take Ledo long to figure out what exactly was bugging her. "I assume you're trying to stay away from Lord Meta Knight?"
"...was it that obvious?" Susie averted her eyes in embarrassment.
"A little. Well, if you didn't want to be seen by Meta Knight, why did you come?"
"Kirby wouldn't leave me alone about it and…well…I wanted to talk to you and Chamber again." She didn't directly say it, but the young man had a feeling that she was also worried due to hearing about the effects of neuromechanical merge from Chamber. It took him a few days to wrap his head around the idea that he was one second away from death as well. That was when an idea sparked.
"If you want Susie, Chamber's outside. You can talk to him about anything."
"Really!?" she asked in a hopeful tone.
"Affirmative. I talk with Ensign Ledo separately and can therefore have a separate conversation with you."
"There's your answer."
Susie enthusiastically shook his hand. "Thank you very much Mr. Ledo! Mr. Chamber! Enjoy the rest of the party!" She walked away with a smile and excitement in her eyes.
"I hope that isn't a problem for you, Chamber."
"Negative, ensign. It is easily within my capabilities."
The young man smiled. He then saw a familiar pair walking towards him.
Ribbon was the first to speak. "Ah Ledo! It's great to see you again!"
"All of us were worried for you..." Adeleine added with a nod.
"Thank you, Ribbon, Adeleine. I'm doing much better now, though I'm still a bit sore." Actually, it was more of a headache, but he was still sore.
"Oh, in that case I know what will help!" The artist quickly sketched out a Maximum Tomato and handed it to him. "One bite of this is and you'll be at 200%!"
"Well, I'll give it a try if you say so... thank you." the moment he bit into it he began to feel his headache go away. "Woah...I do feel a lot better, actually. Say, how do you do that anyway?"
"Heh heh heh...sorry, artist's secret..." Adeleine replied in a teasing tone. It was likely similar to how Kirby's Artist ability worked.
"That's fair. Regardless, it was good seeing you two again."
"Oh, before you go, take this!" Ribbon then handed him a plush toy that looked like Chamber. "Adeline helped me make it! I hope you like it!"
The young man hesitated to speak for a moment. "... I love it. Thank you." He gave a smile in return.
"Great! I'm happy that you like it!" He gave a nod. "Ah! We should probably get something to eat before everything's gone!"
Adeleine looked over at the table. "Yeah...see you later, Ledo!"
"Yeah! Thank you again!"
After the duo walked away, Ledo vaguely felt like someone was watching him.
"If you want to say something to me, go ahead and do it." He turned his head to see that Dark Meta Knight was silently staring at him from afar.
"It's impressive that you lived through that fiasco." He said with a huff. While his tone was clearly condescending, the ensign noticed that there was also a hint of happiness to it. Though as to why he was happy, he couldn't tell. It could be part of that vain nature he heard about, but that didn't seem quite right.
"Thanks, I guess..."
The doppelganger gave a haughty glare. "…whatever."
Then the mirror warrior turned around and walked off, leaving the young man to continue staring in questioning. Suddenly Ledo's instincts made him quickly turn back around and grab an object that had been thrown at him. That object was...a shovel?
"Hey, Ledo! Hallo! Good catch! Mein lieber Herr Gesangsverein and whatnot! So, you must be feeling better then, ja?" A familiar jester bounced over on a ball.
"Marx, why did you throw a shovel at me?"
"It's a celebration gift, Dussel!" he tried his best to give an innocent-looking smile, only for the young man to stare at him in skepticism.
"...this is the shovel you used to dig a grave for me, isn't it?"
Marx jolted, almost falling off the ball he was on, and became frightened. "W-well uh...you see, uh... scheisse...OH, I THINK MAGS WANTS ME FOR SOMETHING! SEE YOU LATER LEDO!" he bolted off.
"Thanks for the shovel, Marx!" the ensign called after him, receiving no response.
More people seemed to be entering the castle from outside now and it was beginning to become a bit stuffy. Thinking about it, he should probably check on Chamber and Susie to see how they were. Just as he was about to head outside, he noticed a rose that looked as if it was made from mirror glass. Looking around him to see if anyone dropped it, he picked it up. "For it not to break from falling, it must be made of some pretty hard glass..." he thought. Tied to one of the leaves, there was a note that simply read "To the subordinate of a good friend".
"Chamber, do you have an idea of who this could be from?" he asked.
"Hypothesis: it is someone that Meta Knight is friends with."
"That's likely the case...I don't think the Mage Sisters met with the Lieutenant Colonel..." the ensign placed the glass rose in his pocket, still getting the feeling that he was being watched. He shrugged it off and headed outside, not noticing Dark Meta Knight watching him from a corner.
Going outside, Ledo saw three familiar shapes on the balcony. It was Rick, Kine and Coo sharing a watermelon with each other.
"Hello, everyone. I hope I'm not interrupting you." He said as he joined them.
"G'day mate! Nah, you're fine!" the hamster replied.
"Good evening, Ledo." Coo nodded.
"Night? It's the middle of the day..." Kine uttered.
"Coo is nocturnal, so it is night to him."
"That's correct."
"Does it matter what time it is?" Rick rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, come sit and have some melon!"
"Oh sure, thanks." He took a seat next to the hamster and took a piece. "Where's the others if you don't me asking?" he questioned, looking around.
"Nago's still eating. He wanted to get in all the fish he could before both Dedede and Kirby got to it." Rick explained.
"Pitch already tired himself out and is sleeping on Chamber. He said he didn't mind." Coo added.
"And Chuchu is stalking Kirby again. I don't think you'll get a chance to talk to her." Kine finished.
"That's fine, at least they're having fun." The young man replied.
Hopefully, he'll have the chance to at least get on good terms with Chuchu at some point.
Upon finishing his slice, he stood up again. "Thanks for the watermelon. Also, for helping me out back in the Hyper Zone."
"It ain't no problem mate! We're pals, aren't we?" Rick gave a thumbs-up.
"Yeah...yeah, we are." He nodded in gratitude.
After a brief chat with Susie while he checked in on her and Chamber, Ledo returned back inside the castle. While the young man continued to walk around, the first thing he slowly began to notice was how nice calm the music was for a bustling party. He expected Dedede to play something more upbeat because he thought this kind of slow, calming music was boring, but it was a fine change of pace to him. As he made his way throughout the hall, the ensign came across a group of people dancing, and four people in particular stood out to him. Flamberge and Francisca were dancing with each other while Zan Partizanne and Hyness were standing to the side watching. Before he knew it, he was suddenly being hugged.
"Hello young man. It's good to see you again. REJOICE AND BE GLAD, FOR THE GODS HAVE SPARED YOU! HAPPY DAY HAPPY DAY!"
"It's good to see you to Hyness...but could you let me go?"
"Of course, young man."
"Thank you." He turned to Zan. "It's good to see you as well, Zan."
"Likewise." she replied in an absent voice, as if she was seemingly lost in thought. She didn't even look at him upon giving her reply. That was when the young man noticed something. Zan was staring at the others dancing.
"Would you care to dance?"
Zan's eyes lit up in surprise as she looked at his outreached hand. "Do you know how?"
"No, but I'm told I'm a fast learner." Such was a comment often said by both Chamber and Meta Knight.
Zan giggled in amusement. "Very well, follow my lead." She said, taking his hand.
Meanwhile, in a darker corner of the room, Dark Meta Knight was sulking impatiently. To a few observant guests, he appeared to be waiting for something to happen. He silently fiddled with his cape, traced the ground in front of him with his sword, making crude drawings of whatever or whoever he chose to be his model. Sometimes, he would silently examine his tattered wings. After a couple of minutes, a mirror appeared beside him and a grey version of Kirby stepped out.
"...why are you here, Shadow Kirby?" he mumbled.
"You know it would've gone faster if you helped me, right?" the puff pouted, an expression that was a perfect copy of his normal counterpart's version.
The mirror knight abruptly shifted his eyes towards him, as if interested in that statement. The darker version of Kirby motioned into the mirror and out stepped Shadow Ledo, Shadow Dedede, and Shadow Bandana. The keen observer would've seen the copy's eyes light up for a moment, but he immediately turned away from them, as if to hide his expression.
"Hmph! About time you morons came back!" Dark Meta Knight grumbled haughtily.
"Lord Dark Meta Knight, is that a complement?" Shadow Ledo asked, kneeling next to him.
The dark warrior hesitated to answer before speaking. "…maybe you don't have a snail's brain after all." The tone he used was neutral, as if he neither confirmed nor denied such a thing.
"OI! THE HELL ARE YA CALLIN' A MORON?!" "Look in a mirror sometime, jackass! Oh wait, we live in one! LOOK IN THAT!" Shadow Dedede and Shadow Bandana yelled furiously.
"Piss off, you two! Why the hell did Shadow Kirby fix both of you anyway!?"
"CALLED BEIN' NICE! TRY IT ONCE IN A WHILE, ASSHOLE!"
"Hey pot, you really wanna make fun of the kettle like that? Boy, you're pathetic..."
"YOU LITTLE PISSANT!"
"Geez, can't you guys just get along for at least one day...?" Shadow Kirby shook his head.
While watching this conversation play out, Shadow Ledo began to gain a small smile. Despite Dark Meta Knight's neutral response to his question if his response was a complement, his tattered wings involuntarily flapped for a brief moment, as if indicating that he was happy about something.
"Great King, should we tell them to leave?" Bandana Dee pointed towards them from afar.
The king looked up from his steak. "If they ain't wrecking anything, leave 'em be."
A short time later, Meta Knight noticed that Kirby had slowed his eating, as if he was deep in thought about something. While this slowdown of his appetite was welcoming, considering that some food needed to be saved for the rest of the partygoers, it was still a bit unusual for someone like his student.
"Kirby, is there something wrong?" he sat next to him.
"Oh…uh…it's nothing!" the child laughed a bit while rubbing the back of his head.
"I know you're lying. Tell me." His eyes turned grass green while saying that. It was an obvious signal that he would force it out of him if he refused to talk about it.
The pink puff sighed and hesitated to speak for a moment. "Do…do you think that if we met Kugel and Striker earlier, they could've become our friends, too?"
The knight had a vague idea that it was something along those lines, but the question still caught him off guard. "…that's something I can't exactly answer. But, considering your nature, I'm sure they would have." Honestly, he was a bit unsure if that would make him feel completely better or not.
"Do you really think so?"
"I do. You know that as well as I do. You've befriended people that one could argue are worse than them." Honestly, Meta Knight wasn't entirely sure about what he was saying, as someone like Kugel and Striker were likely so set in stone it would be hard to get through to them, but there would have still been a chance considering the Jambastion religion followers.
"Ugh, can you two quit being so depressing? Just enjoy yourselves!" Dedede grumbled, scarfing down another plate of food. "Y'know, ya can't change the past and all that jazz."
"You say that, but you and Meta-sensei are always first to bring up the Fountain of Dreams incident!" Kirby pouted childishly in response.
"Now ya know how I feel whenever y'all keep bringin' up how I stole all the food and Sparkling Stars!" he scarfed down another chunk of meat.
"Great King, I think that and some of the other things you did outweigh what Kirby did…" Bandana hesitated a bit.
"And y'know who did something that outweighed those?! Meta Knight! He tried to take over my kingdom and barely anyone bats an eye at it!"
"Incorrect, Dedede. I have said before that I am quite ashamed of my actions at that time, and there are still some citizens who fear or scorn me about it to this very day."
"Yeah, sure, whatever…"
"Query: What does this conversation have to do with your original topic?"
"OH SH-" Dedede nearly fell out of his chair when he saw Ledo standing next to him holding Chamber's communication device. "HOW LONG WERE YOU STANDING THERE?!"
"I believe it was two minutes, sire."
The king had a disoriented stare for a moment before clearing his throat, as if intending to change the subject. "So, princess, you have fun dancing with your girlfriend?" he leaned towards him with an elbow on the table.
"I-I have no idea what you're talking about!" the young man stuttered as he felt his face become hot.
"HAHAHA! YOU SHOULD SEE HOW PINK YOUR FACE GOT! YOU ALMOST LOOK LIKE KIRBY! AHAHAHA!" the king laughed, pulling on his cheeks.
"Ow...ow…please stop that...you're hurting me…"
"Dedede are you picking on Ledo again?" Kirby had an annoyed pout on his face while saying that, causing the monarch to immediately stop.
"I don't know what you are talking about." He whistled causally, as if pretending that nothing happened.
"Aren't you going to say anything to defend him, Meta Knight?" Bandana questioned.
"Ledo is independent. He can decide what to counter with for himself."
"As is the case for me. I only provide the logic needed for Ensign Ledo to make informed decisions."
The young man gave an irritated sigh, but he knew he wouldn't trade moments like this for the world.
"Hey, Bandana! You mind gettin' me some more steak?"
"Sorry, your highness, but we're out of food…"
The king did a double take upon seeing the empty buffet. "WHAAAAA!? WHAT HAPPENED?! THEM TABLES WAS PACKED EARILER TODAY!"
"Isn't it obvious? You and Kirby ate a majority of it with everyone else needing to rush to eat anything…" Ledo uttered, recalling what he had observed and Taranza's account of the happenings.
"I'M SORRY! EVERYTHING JUST LOOKED SO YUMMY THAT I COULDN'T HELP IT!" Kirby profusely apologized.
"THEN TELL THEM THERE CHEFS TO MAKE MORE!" Dedede shouted.
"They said there's no more ingredients left, your highness."
"ARRRGGHHHHH! THEN TELL SOMEONE TO GO TO THE STORE AND BUY SOME!"
"Great king, please just wait for dessert."
The king stopped talking before scoffing. "Hmph! Then I will!"
"At least show some restraint this time. There are others who'd like to eat as well…" The knight replied in a neutral tone.
"You mean for yourself, metal face?" Dedede snickered.
"You are so lucky I'm in a good mood today." The blue puff glared at him.
Ledo didn't really want to think about what would have happened if he was in a bad mood today. That was when he suddenly remembered the rose.
"Lord Meta Knight."
The knight turned towards his subordinate upon hearing his name be called.
"You wouldn't happen to recognize this handwriting, or this rose, would you?" the young man showed him the mirror-glass rose.
"…I'm afraid I do not. However, the way this rose is shining, I believe it may have come from the Mirror World." he uttered in a low voice.
"Or it may just be an actual glass rose. Not everything is a Mirror World conspiracy, ya know." The king grumbled in response.
"I'd like to test that out, but I'd rather not break something that is a gift to you." The knight handed the flower back to Ledo.
"It's fine. Thanks for taking a look at it anyway." He replied.
The room was then filled with a sweet smell.
"Dessert is ready!"
The moment Kawasaki announced that, it seemed as if Dedede, Kirby, and even Meta Knight to a point were locked on to him. "Ah! I'm just gonna get out of the line of fire, so uh…buh-bye!" he ran back into the kitchen in a panic.
"…that isn't good." Bandana uttered.
"I assume you'll need my help restraining them?" the ensign stretched an arm as if warming up for a difficult fight.
The Waddle Dee turned to him. "Uh-huh…"
By the time the party was over it was fairly late at night, so Dedede demanded that Kirby, Ledo, and Meta Knight stay in one of the guest rooms. They would question why he'd let his rival stay so easily, but it was made obvious when the puff fell out of his chair due to how tired he was. After bidding Chamber good night, Bandana Dee was the one to guide them to their room for the night. The room was nice, but there was only a single king-size bed in it. Just as the other two were discussing the arrangements, Kirby plopped himself onto one size and immediately fell asleep. That left the rest of the bed for Ledo and Meta Knight. With a silent nod, they crawled in, turned off the light, and tried to fall asleep.
Unfortunately, it seems like sleep was evading the ensign, as he was still wide awake what felt like an hour later. He only sighed and turned in Kirby's direction. That was when he heard a faint sound next to him. That didn't make sense, since his superior should've fallen asleep by now. He tried to take a look but couldn't really see due to the room being barely lit by moonlight. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a flashlight, keeping another hand on his pistol just in case. Upon turning it on, he was a bit startled to see Meta Knight sitting there eating a few small cakes. Clearly, he had taken some food from the buffet and stashed it in his cape's subspace for later. The knight seemed to be equally startled by this, staring in stunned silence before a bright red blush shot across his face.
"D...do not speak of this to anyone, ensign..." he stuttered, covering his face.
"...yes, sir." He turned off his flashlight and laid back down.
Thankfully, Kirby was a heavy sleeper and his only reaction was to quietly nuzzle closer to Ledo. There were two faint rustles of cloth, likely the cape and bedcovers as the knight seemed to have decided to try and sleep. There was a faint murmuring from the pink puff.
"Did you enjoy the party, Lord Meta Knight?"
There was some shifting, as if the latter was moving to better talk to him. "While I normally don't like attending large parties because I don't like large crowds, I found this particular one quite enjoyable. I could tell that you enjoyed it as well."
"Yeah. it was nice to meet up with everyone again. I kind of wish the rest of the Meta-Knights could've stayed a bit longer."
"They have their own duties to attend to, so they didn't want to stay too long."
"I understand that, but I still think that it would have been nice."
There was another moment of silence. "Sir, what do you think we should do tomorrow?"
"…you're having trouble falling asleep, aren't you?"
"Was it that obvious?"
"It was." Due to the moonlight, he could faintly see a grin on his face.
"What do you suggest I do then?"
"Hmmm… imagine that you're retelling a story."
"Does it matter what kind?"
"It could be any kind. All you have to do is close your eyes and retell it from the beginning. It doesn't matter if everything is exact or summarized, just tell it."
"Are you sure it'll work?"
"It works for me, so there's a chance that it will work for you."
"I'll try it then. Good night, sir."
"Good night, Ledo." The knight turned back away from him.
The young man closed his eyes and let the silence take him in.
Much longer chapter this time around. I needed to wrap up a few loose ends.
Next is the epilogue.