After the Makhaira reached its desired height in space and its speed leveled out, Blade gave the group permission to remove their harnesses. One by one the ship's passengers slipped out of their protective straps, standing around and stretching their cramped limbs. Meta Knight wandered over to the main console at the front of the ship, standing between Sword and Blade as they remained seated and monitoring the ship's controls. He silently gazed out of the ship's window, staring out into the void of space. He knew the incredible speeds they were traveling, but it always looked as if they were drifting along slowly.
Meta Knight felt a touch on his spaulder. He turned to see Fumu, who stared at him with a quizzical expression on her face.
"Sir…" Fumu began slowly. "You never did explain where we were actually going."
"Yeah!" Bun chimed in, standing behind his sister. "And what's this orb thing that's so important that the Necromancer had to bust into a museum to get something to help him reach it?"
"Also" Fumu added, "You said you knew this guy at one time. Was he a Star Warrior? Why isn't he on our side?"
Meta Knight tore his gaze away from Fumu to look out onto the stars. He half-considered not answering any of their questions, but until Sword or Blade needed to be relieved of their posts so that Meta Knight could take over piloting the ship in shifts, there was nothing to do but talk anyway.
Meta Knight shouldered his way past Fumu, walking over towards their seats. He looked over his shoulder at the two children's questioning faces, indicating that they should follow him. The three sat down, facing each other in seats across from each other in the aisle. Fumu stood up to beckon Kirby over, as he had followed the children over to the ship's flight cabin and seemed a little too fascinated with the ship's controls.
"Come over, Kirby. Don't mess with anything over there" Fumu said in a firm but gentle tone. "Those controls are not like your old ship."
"Ok!" Kirby said cheerfully, hopping over to where the other three sat. Too filled with energy to sit down, he simply paced back and forth down the aisle and climbed around on the seats farthest away from the group.
Meta Knight exhaled forcefully through his mask, closing his eyes as he organized his thoughts.
"Perhaps I should first explain what the Necromantic Orb is. It is an ancient artifact of great power – the power to grant undeath on a large scale. Legend has it that it could sap the life-force from an entire region in minutes. The Necromantic Orb grants its unlucky victims a fate worse than death. They become undead, slaves to whoever is controlling the Orb at the moment. However, the Orb has been a puzzle for centuries. Many power-hungry fools have tried to touch it, only to become quickly killed. The Necromantic Orb's power cannot just be wielded as one does a weapon; any living being who touches it will instantly have all of their own life-force drained, killing them. That must be why the Necromancer wanted that odd museum artifact – he seems convinced that it could protect him from the Orb's magical defenses, allowing him to wield its power himself."
Fumu and Bun gasped, looking at each other. It did not take much thought to realize how dangerous this would be in the hands of a powerful being who already understood the nature of undeath such as the Necromancer.
"Right now, we're headed towards the planet known as Star's Fall" Meta Knight continued, his voice glum. "It is the site of one of the Galaxy Soldier Army's most massive battles…and losses. That is how the previously unnamed planet earned its moniker. The reason for holding such a large-scale battle there was that both forces were trying to possess the Necromantic Orb for themselves – the Galaxy Solider Army to seal away such evil, and Nightmare to use it for his own ends. We lost, but surprisingly even Nightmare himself could not figure out how to channel the Orb's power. No Demon Beast, no matter how powerful, could touch it without dying almost immediately."
"The being you saw at the museum was not always known as the Necromancer…" Meta Knight's eyes took on a green tinge as he looked upward. "He was once known as Sir Pendragon, one of Sir Arthur's most trusted Star Warriors and a powerful battlemage who fought to protect the well-being of the galaxy."
"You two fought side by side before?" Fumu asked, fascinated.
Meta Knight nodded in response. "Yes. He was once my ally."
"What made him want to turn everyone into zombies, then?" Bun inquired.
Meta Knight lowered his head. "Sir Pendragon watched the Galaxy Soldier Army fall, losing fight after fight as Nightmare gained ground. He wanted more than anything to halt the advance of the Holy Nightmare Corporation, but our numbers were finite whereas Nightmare could keep producing Demon Beasts. One day, Sir Pendragon turned his studies over to the darker arts."
Meta Knight looked up, cold yellow eyes meeting Fumu's gaze. "Such magic was forbidden."
Meta Knight fell silent, closing his eyes behind the mask for a moment. He could remember when it happened, not long after the first massive loss to the Galaxy Soldier Army on the planet of Star's Fall. The memories played in his head, feeling as if they had just occurred rather than taking place many years ago.
Meta Knight remembered standing on the rough, sandy ground of Star's Fall. The strange orangey sky shined over a bleak, deserted landscape devoid of any visible life. There was no trees, no grass, no water. There was zero sign of life, not even the scuttling of insects. This miserable, desolate rock was where they were stationed.
Meta Knight looked to his left. A long white tent was set up, housing the few surviving soldiers after the battle that had taken place. The Galaxy Soldier Army was forced to retreat. Nurses zipped in and out of the tent like bees in a hive, frantically bringing medical supplies back and forth and tending to the large amount of wounded soldiers the best they could. Beyond the lines where Meta Knight stood, in the outskirts of the battlefield, there was a sight even more depressing; death.
The dead bodies of countless Star Warriors laid sprawled about in the rocky plain, rotting under the planet's sun. Some were missing limbs, armor, a collection of haphazard body parts spread across the battlefield. Meta Knight looked at the sight, the color fading from his yellow eyes until they glowed a dim gray with despair.
Sir Arthur emerged from the medical tent, his left arm bloodied and in a bandage. His lavender eyes softened to a gray shade as well, sorrow gripping him. As the leader of the Galaxy Soldier Army, he felt fully responsible for the loss of his men.
"So much loss…" Meta Knight murmured. He turned to face Sir Arthur, silvery mask glinting in the orange sunlight. "When will it end?"
Sir Arthur looked away, too filled with sorrow to respond. Hidden behind his armor, a tear rolled down his green cheeks. He had no answer.
The two were startled out of their brooding when a broad-winged figure flew towards them, landing beside the two. The red-skinned creature, clearly a member of Meta Knight and Sir Arthur's species despite being almost completely covered in white armor, bowed low in the presence of his commander.
"Sir Arthur. Sir Meta Knight", he greeted them.
"Sir Pendragon" Arthur stated in response, eyes gleaming blue at the sight of one of his most valuable men. He was relieved that he was unhurt during their last battle.
"Sir Arthur, if I may" Sir Pendragon began as he straightened his posture, "I believe we have a way to defeat Nightmare once and for all!" He stabbed his carved staff into the ground triumphantly as he spoke.
Sir Arthur raised a hidden eyebrow. "Another one of your spells…?"
"You could say that" Sir Pendragon continued. "You see, the Necromantic Orb gave me an idea…Nightmare is winning because he has an inexhaustible supply of Demon Beasts at his command. What we need", Pendragon stated with his eyes beginning to take on a strange glint, "is an inexhaustible army of our own."
Sir Pendragon waved his staff, a blue mist coming off of it. Meta Knight and Arthur both stepped back, unsure of what to expect from the eccentric mage. Their jaws dropped in horror as one of the nearest corpses to them, lying face-up on the ground in a heap of armor, suddenly began to stir. The body shook violently before rolling over, pushing itself to its feet with its one remaining arm. It stood and shambled over to Sir Pendragon, shuffling through the rocks.
The color drained from Meta Knight's eyes as he stood and watched, gaping like a fish. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Arthur's eyes began to darken until they flushed a deep red. With a flash of his golden sword Arthur struck the corpse down, hacking away at it in a rage. The corpse jerked spastically at the assault. At once Pendragon released his hold on the body, the blue energy seeping out of its eyes and mouth before it crumpled into a lifeless heap again. Arthur turned to face Pendragon, eyes glowing a fierce red as he held out his bloodied sword.
"Sir Pendragon…necromancy? You desecrate the memory of our own men by bringing them to life and manipulating them like puppets?! How…how could you?"
"Is it really so wrong, Sir?" Pendragon asked, his own eyes beginning to darken at Arthur's disapproval. "Is it so wrong to take the dead, who feel nothing, and use them against our enemy? The dead have no vices – no need for food or water. No urge to eat or sleep. No pain. No fear. They could literally fight for us until their bodies get destroyed beyond use. They could bolster our numbers. Our fighting force could be doubled, tripled!" His eyes narrowed. "Don't let your morals get in the way of this, Sir Arthur. This is war. War is hell. The only thing honor will do on the battlefield is get you killed."
Arthur shook his head rapidly, Meta Knight glaring silently in response as his hand slowly lowered towards his own weapon.
"We allow nearly all types of warriors within the Galaxy Soldier Army, Sir Pendragon. You know this." Arthur growled, tenor voice rising in anger as he spoke. "You also know that necromancy is forbidden. To use evil magic, to desecrate the honor of our fallen allies by raising them against their will is disgusting. No mortal should have control over death in this way."
Pendragon's gaze hardened, fist gripping his staff tightly. "Is it not the Galaxy Soldier Army's mission to protect the galaxy at all costs? Do you really think soldiers would mind? In death, they can become the ultimate fighting machine. No longer are they tied to mortal fears or emotions. No longer do they have base needs. They exist for no other purpose but to fight. They are fulfilling their mission beyond the grave."
Meta Knight tried to picture himself dying in the battlefield and being resurrected months or even years later as an animated corpse, his rotting body moved by magic and being forced to fight again. The thought shook him so deeply that a shudder raced through him, rattling his armor. Arthur was right. This was wrong.
"And what of their souls?" Arthur shot back. "You'd rather damn them for eternity, denying them the rest they have earned by disturbing them? Or do you plan on enslaving spirits as well?"
"Sir Arthur…" Pendragon said slowly. "You are fool. You will drive the Galaxy Soldier Army into the ground." He turned his back to the two, facing the sun and the field of corpses which baked underneath it.
"The Galaxy Soldier Army and Nightmare's forces have both failed to take their Necromantic Orb into their possession. I will take hold of it myself then, and defeat the Holy Nightmare Corporation alone, if you are too cowardly to make use of this gift."
Sir Pendragon spread his wings, preparing for takeoff.
"Don't you dare!" Sir Arthur cried. He lurched forward towards Sir Pendragon, but was too late; the white-armored Star Warrior had already taken off. In midair Sir Pendragon spun around, laughing with glee as Sir Arthur waved his sword at him uselessly from the ground.
"You cannot stop me. Don't even try, Sir."
With a wave of his staff, Sir Pendragon cast his spell again. This time, however, the spell covered a wide range as it gently floated to the corpse-littered ground. One by one the recently-fallen corpses of the Galaxy Soldier Army's comrades rose, shuffling towards Arthur and Meta Knight with their weapons held high. Arthur stepped back, swinging his sword wildly at the advancing horde. He could not focus on Sir Pendragon; the resurrected warriors could easily dispatch the medical tent full of wounded soldiers if they were not stopped.
"After him!" Sir Arthur cried to Meta Knight, barely having the chance to say anything between attacking the others.
Meta Knight nodded in response and jumped into the air. However, in the split-second it took for his cape to transform into wings, a fallen Star Warrior grabbed him and dragged him backwards down into the writhing mob of bodies. Meta Knight slashed fearfully with his silver rapier, his weapon of choice before he obtained Galaxia. He slashed at the enemy who attacked him, lopping off the hands of the corpse which grabbed his cape. The zombies swarmed around him, clutching his mask, slashing him with swords, beating on his body with clubs and maces…
"Sir?"
Meta Knight turned, wide-eyed in horror, as he watched members of the undead army filter through Arthur and Meta Knight. A good number of them had escaped the blades of the two Star Warriors, crawling towards the medical tent…
"SIR!"
Meta Knight's eyes snapped open. Before him stood Fumu and Bun, frowning with concern. Even Kirby watched him nervously, one hand to his mouth.
Meta Knight felt his heart hammer against his chest. He was sweating. The veteran quickly wrapped his cape around himself, mask hiding his expression as he glanced at the three.
"Sorry…I must have dozed off or something" he mumbled.
Fumu rubbed her own cheek nervously as she backed off. "As long as you're okay, Sir."
Bun climbed back into his seat and yawned, stretching his back and lifting his arms until he accidentally bumped into the lifted harness. With an annoyed grunt he curled up in the seat, closing his hidden eyes and trying to get as comfortable as possible.
"Never did get to go back to sleep after being woken up at an unholy hour" he said quietly, stifling a yawn.
Fumu yawned herself, finding it contagious. "Bun's got the right idea. I'm going to try and get some sleep."
Meta Knight watched her pick a seat nearby to Bun, leaning back on it and closing her eyes. He dipped his head slightly, wrapped up in his cape as he regarded the tired siblings.
"Rest well."