The group continued down the icy cave. The shimmering blue walls began to narrow, the entire area darkening as they moved away from the cave's sunlit entrance. Soon, it was too dark to see anything beyond the dim glow of Meta Knight's lit torch. The cave became noticeably colder as the group forged onward. At first the cold was tolerable, but soon Fumu and Bun both began to feel it hard. The cold seeped through their thick layers of clothing, piercing through their coats and mittens. Fumu's teeth chattered as her pale skin began to take on a blue tinge. Even Meta Knight himself began to feel his body shake, the cold armor pressed against his face and shoulders canceling out whatever warmth his cape gave him. He steeled himself, willing his body not to shiver through force of will. Bun was faring even worse, the slim young boy having practically no muscle or fat to keep him insulated under his layers of clothing. He reflexively opened and closed his hands, desperately trying to keep the blood flowing into his fingers. In time, his pace began to lag behind the others. Fumu turned to see where her brother was, Meta Knight looking over his shoulder to glance at Bun.
Bun continued to step forward, feeling embarrassed that he was lagging behind. Fumu put a mitten over her mouth in concern; she knew that he was suffering. Meta Knight glanced upwards at his own torch, eyes tinting a faint green as he watched the flame flicker weakly.
"This torch will not be enough heat" Meta Knight said.
Fumu grimaced, nodding slowly in agreement. Although she did not voice her concern, she was deeply afraid of Bun losing the strength to move altogther. She had read heart-wrenching tales of exhausted explorers that trudged through snow until they stopped for a short rest, only to close their eyes and never move again.
"It's just fine!" Bun responded, lying with his voice in an upbeat tone in order to placate his worried sister. He knew that he was not fine, far from it, but he did not want Fumu or the others to lose focus on the mission for his sake.
Meta Knight's slight smile was hidden beneath his mask; he was impressed by Bun's bravery. Still, he knew that Bun was fading and that he as well as the rest of the group were in increasing danger of succumbing to the cold. Meta Knight's eyes traveled upwards to glance at his torch a second time; he had an idea. He tapped Kirby on the shoulder with a gloved hand, causing the pink creature to swing around and eye the veteran curiously.
"Kirby" Meta Knight said, holding the torch out to him. "It's getting dangerously cold in here. Inhale this and become Fire Kirby; you can put out more heat than this torch can."
Kirby nodded in response. With a forceful pull so sudden that even Meta Knight was caught off guard, Kirby inhaled the torch. His skin darkened to a deep cherry red, flames leaping out of a crown of fire on his head.
Fumu grinned broadly at the sight. "Fire Kirby! Sir Meta Knight, you are a genius."
Meta Knight cleared his throat, holding his gloved fist to his mask with his eyes closed. He felt a sudden rush of warmth to his freezing face in the form of a light blush. Compliments had a tendency to make him feel bashful, though his mask kept his expression hidden.
"Fire Kirby" Meta Knight addressed the red Star Warrior. "Give off as much heat as you can at a steady pace. We will need your warmth."
"Yes, Sir!" Fire Kirby responded. His body began to glow slightly, a faint orange aura emanating from him like the glow of candlelight.
The others huddled around him, forming a mass of bodies. Kirby felt thoroughly uncomfortable having everyone breathing on him, but he understood that they needed to be close in order to feel his warmth. Bun felt better as he walked inches away from Kirby, the Star Warrior's immense heat giving off a comfortable amount of warmth in a small radius around him. Meta Knight raised a hidden eyebrow as he examined Kirby; the young boy's brows were furrowed, frown twitching slightly. He watched beads of sweat form on Kirby's forehead, only to immediately evaporate from the heat. Kirby was clearly putting a lot of effort into maintaining the level of heat he was giving off. Meta Knight fiddled with the corner of his folded cape with one gloved hand nervously as he walked; he was not sure how long Kirby could keep up what he was doing.
In time the group paused, their pace slowing to a stop. Kirby's eyes closed, the fiery crown on his head shrinking like that of a spent campfire. Meta Knight's eyes flashed with worry.
"Hey, Kirby...you okay?" Fumu asked. Kirby stood still, silent. He gave a nod after a couple of seconds.
"Yup" Kirby responded, his choice of words positive though his voice was faint and wilting. Although his expression was still clearly pained, he managed to make a small smile for Fumu. Radiating even a small amount of fire from his body constantly was incredibly taxing, as if he was producing one long, continuous fire attack, but he knew how important his task was.
"Keep going" Meta Knight coaxed the others. He moved forward beyond the tight huddle around Kirby, walking into the dark beyond the light radiating from the younger Star Warrior's fiery crown. He knew that Kirby was tired, but the group could not spare a second of wasted time.
Kirby shifted one foot to another as he tried to will himself to move again, knowing that the group was counting on him more than ever. As he moved, a small amount of clear liquid pooled around his dark red shoes as the ice beneath his feet melted slightly. Kirby looked down, surprised at the feeling of wetness; he watched the liquefying ice beneath his feet curiously. As he watched, he saw what appeared to be some sort of shadow move beneath the ice.
Kirby blinked multiple times in rapid succession. He figured it was the dancing shadows cast from the light of his fiery crown. He began to step forward.
A hand suddenly shot up from the ground beneath Kirby, causing the Star Warrior and the others to quickly hop back a pace. The hand, a silvery five-fingered gauntlet covering brown mummified skin that looked like tanned leather, reached forward and grasped at the air. Fumu and Kirby screamed, Blade shouting in surprise at the same time as all three knights immediately drew their weapons. The forearm gripped the ice as a second hand pushed through from the icy floor below them, a large crack forming and spreading out in a circular radius. A body then burst forth from the ice, hauling itself out of the ground in a shower of shards. The body was humanoid in shape, its anatomy appearing to be that of Garlude's species. The naturally-preserved corpse was fully armored, wearing a tarnished breastplate and horned helmet. Its eye sockets glowed a bright, unnatural blue, tiny orbs flickering and dancing within the hollow eyeholes like a flame. It unsheathed a mace from a belt on its side, advancing towards the group.
Fumu and Bun hid in the rear, screaming, as the three knights attacked with their swords drawn. Before Kirby could join in a second corpse burst forth from the floor behind them, clawing madly at the icy floor before standing upwards. The armored being lifted a large, rusted spear and aimed it at the children before Kirby intervened, stepping in front of them protectively. Kirby took a deep breath and blew fire at the undead creature, the column of flame shooting forwards to hit the body. However, this was not the body of a civilian. The spear-wielding undead held out its buckler, crouching behind it and deflecting the fire. It then advanced forward with its spear, jabbing at Kirby. Kirby got out of the way before flinging a fireball at it; again, the animated body blocked the flame with an expertly-timed shield block.
"These aren't like the ones in Pupu Village" Bun uttered nervously as he clung to his sister.
"Former soldiers" Blade managed to say as he traded blows with the one in front, Sword and Meta Knight surrounding it from all sides as they tried to mob it.
"Their armor is brittle with age! Focus on breaking it so that Kirby can burn the body inside" Meta Knight cried as he slashed at the ice mummy, battering its breastplate as hard as he could with blows from Galaxia.
The ice mummy swung around with an unnatural speed, spiked mace striking Meta Knight in response. The blow hit the knight's mask, but a tip of it managed to pierce the skin above his eyes where the mask ended. The wound began to bleed, a thin red trickle running down his forehead and into his right eye. Meta Knight stood in place while swaying for a moment, stunned from the blow to his head, as Sword and Blade dove in front of him to protect their leader. Sword's eyes flashed from under his mask, becoming visible for a brief second as the sight of Meta Knight being wounded sent him into a rage. He delivered several quick blows in succession, lopping off the mummy's arm which held the mace. Bits of dislodged ice fell free from the joint as the arm limply fell to the ground, gauntlet relaxing its grip on the mace as it went limp.
Blade stepped back, circling to the rear to keep the second corpse distracted as he addressed Kirby. "Kirby! Where Sword cut off its arm, there's an opening through the armor! Burn it there!"
Kirby whipped his head around, eyes locking in on the rotted stump where the creature's arm once was. He unleashed a torrent of flame, aiming carefully for the hole of exposed flesh that Sword's cut provided. The ice mummy quickly erupted in flames, fire gushing out of the thin holes in its helmet and armor joints. It soon fell over, a blackened thin pile of indescribable flesh that melted into its armor.
Blade took a cue from Sword and focused on the second ice mummy's limbs, trying to both nullify the threat of its weapon and provide an opening of exposed flesh on the fully-armored form. However, the spear-wielding corpse was a seasoned warrior and used the tip of its spear to give itself enough range to stay out of Blade's reach. Kirby stepped forward, aiming carefully; the only spot he could see where he could reach the creature was the thin slit of exposed skin where the helmet's eye openings were. Kirby blew fire at its face. Sword and Blade leaped out of the way as the creature dropped its spear, covering its face with its gauntleted hands. Sword kicked the spear away as Kirby pressed forward, continuing to blow fire in the same spot. The undead monster writhed in place, thrashing its head rapidly before crumpling forward. It laid still.
Fire Kirby stepped back, breathing heavily. His first thoughts were of the children; he whipped his head around to see Fumu and Bun clinging to each other tightly, terrified but unharmed. He then looked to Meta Knight, who had Sword and Blade standing over him. Meta Knight staggered to his feet after a few seconds, waving a hand to refuse the help of the others. He cautiously put a hand to his head wound, wincing sharply at the pain, before glancing at his glove. It was bloody.
"...Bastard" Meta Knight growled. He sheathed Galaxia, which laid on the ground next to him, before walking over to Kirby.
"Sir Meta Knight!" Fumu exclaimed. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine" Meta Knight muttered, wrapping himself up in his cape as he walked.
"Kirby" the blue Star Warrior addressed the young boy, who after the surprise attack was more spent than ever. Kirby looked up at him wearily in response, his dark red skin fading slightly as the crown of billowing flames on his head shrank further.
"Do not stop moving, no matter what." Meta Knight ordered. "We cannot stand still in one place for too long. It appears as if the warmth of your Fire ability woke them."
"Fire?" Kirby asked as he resumed his walking pace, again glowing as he made sure to radiate enough heat for the others as they huddled in a tight circle around him.
"That makes sense" Fumu mused as the group moved on. "They sensed warmth, life. But how were they animated in the first place? Did...did the Necromancer beat us here?"
"Perhaps" Meta Knight replied. "Or maybe the Necromantic Orb itself brought those unholy monsters to life without any outside will controlling it."
Blade shuddered at the thought. "Either way, it's a bad sign..."
"They were far more difficult than the zombies back at the village, too" Sword added. "They were armored and had weapons. They moved way too quickly for something that had been dead and frozen for who knows how long. They even still knew how to fight, somehow."
"I hope we don't see any more of those" Bun murmured in an uncharacteristically timid tone.
Meta Knight's right eye flickered, briefly winking out behind the mask as he blinked away the blood that trickled into it.
"Don't let your guard down."