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The pink puffball named Kirby traveled to the helm of the mostly destroyed ship. Meanwhile the Halberd crew was trying to remain calm and keep track of the young Star Warrior.
"Kirby is moving along the base of the ship." Axe Knight reported.
"Not much we can do to him there…" Captain Vul thought aloud. "But the wind is strong."
"And it's cold." Sailor Dee added.
"And it's high." Axe Knight responded.
"And it's scary." Mace Knight quivered.
"…All right, you lot." Captain Vul shook his head.
"Sorry Captain." The purple clad knight sighed. "I've always had a fear of heights."
"Then you chose the worst possible place to be!" The albatross yelled. "We're on a flying airship that could crash into the ocean!"
Mace Knight paled. He suddenly felt very ill and tried not to look down at the ocean.
"Kirby is headed for the reactor!" Axe Knight pointed to the screen.
"If we lose the reactor, this is all over for sure!" Mace Knight said through his panicked gasps for air.
"Never fear, I don't think Kirby can do anything to the reactor." Captain Vul boasted.
"So long as a reflected laser doesn't hit the reactor, it will be invincible." Sailor Dee said.
"Eeeyah! Don't even say things like that!" Captain Vul yelled at the poor Waddle Dee now hiding behind a chair.
The pink puffball paused before entering the door to the reactor.
"I wonder if they know they left the intercom on, poyo?" Kirby thought as he opened the door.
He could see the laser Sailor Dee spoke of, then stepped in front of the reactor. The laser pointed toward him, just as it fired he moved out of the way. The laser hit the reactor successfully. Two more times Kirby repeated this process until the reactor couldn't take it anymore.
"The reactor has been destroyed!" Axe Knight yelled in distraught.
"All of our Wheelie power sources are escaping!" Mace Knight watched as the little tire creatures jumped from the walls of the ship.
"Ahhh! What are you idiots doing?!" Captain Vul pounded his fists on the table, successfully making the two knights at the cameras feel even more panicked.
Then another explosion resounded across the ship. They could feel the cold metal floors underneath them tremble, or perhaps it was their growing fear making them tremble. Or both.
"All systems failing! No.3 and No.5 engines are gone!" Axe Knight said, fear audible in his voice.
"We're junked! Nothing left to do but crash!" Mace Knight was hyperventilating now.
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Meta Knight watched as his crew quickly deteriorated into a maddened frenzy. Axe Knight and Mace Knight were growing more panicked by the second, Sailor Dee was holding the wooden chair in fright, Sword and Blade were nervously conversing with each other, and Captain Vul was pounding his fists into the desk repeatedly.
Everyone was losing their minds, and he was the one responsible.
"We've failed…but there's nothing we can do." Meta Knight thought in disappointment, mostly towards himself.
And Captain Vul…most of the harmful actions were because of his disobedience and his leadership tactics. However, that would be dealt with after this was all over. What was important now was to keep everyone sane and out of harm's way.
"Attention to all crew! Evacuate ship immediately!" Meta Knight ordered.
"Ahhh! This ship is done for! I gotta get out of here!" The albatross yelled in panic.
"Wait…you're abandoning us?!" Sword gawked.
"You're leaving us! You're a captain!" Blade added with just as much shock.
"I'm escaping now! Don't think badly of me!" Captain Vul turned his back to the rest of the crew and headed to the escape pods.
"Captain Vul…" Meta Knight started, causing Vul to stop in his tracks. "When you became a part of the Halberd's crew, you vowed to uphold the rules and guidelines of this ship. To escape when you know well that the younger crew members have a higher priority…that is dishonorable."
"Captain Vul…you're leaving without us?" Sailor Dee cried, little tears forming in his eyes as he stepped in front of the albatross.
"Feh, you think you're so high and mighty Meta Knight! Remember that this whole Halberd operation was your idea! Any harm that results from this is entirely your doing! As for me, I'm not going to sacrifice myself for a lost cause!"
Captain Vul shoved the Waddle Dee to the side, then jumped into the escape pod. He left the rest of the crew in shock.
"Sir Meta Knight, aren't you going to stop him?" Blade asked.
"…No. His actions will return to him in the future…" Meta Knight turned away from the crew to look out the window, watching the ocean get closer and closer.
"So…Now it's time for the rest of you to escape as well."
"I will stay until the bitter end." Axe Knight protested, still his voice was shaky.
"We should finish off Kirby then all escape together!" Mace Knight suggested.
"… … … …" Meta Knight thought in silence.
Captain Vul's abandonment had struck the crew rather hard. Now Meta Knight wanted the rest of the crew to evacuate so he could confront Kirby himself. However, it seemed that the crew wanted to prove their loyalty.
"Sir Meta Knight…we're not leaving you." Sword said.
"Both of us said we would follow you for the rest of our days. This is no exception." Blade spoke without the slightest hesitation in his voice.
"…You are all about to perish. Do as you please."
He was counting on him acting indifferent about their fates would make them angry enough to leave. He didn't want to make it seem as if he didn't care about what happened to the crew. All Meta Knight wanted was them safe and away from the imminent danger.
"…I'm sorry."
Kirby stepped into the elevator that he knew would take him to Meta Knight. He wanted answers and nothing was going to stop him from facing the blue knight. As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he was ambushed by the crew members.
"Wait, Kirby!" Axe Knight sniffled.
"I cannot let you go any farther!" Mace Knight called.
Kirby quickly defeated them, fueled by pure determination. After he defeated the two knights, he was ready to see Meta Knight.
"Lord Meta Knight, please take care!" Axe Knight shouted.
"We'll go on ahead then!" Mace Knight stated, as the two knights headed to the escape pods.
The remaining members of the Halberd's crew, Sword, Blade, and Sailor Dee watched as Meta Knight was preparing himself to confront Kirby.
"You three should escape as well. The Halberd is close to crashing into the ocean as we speak." Meta Knight tried to convince them into leaving.
Sailor Dee was still petrified, fear taking over most of his body. He clung to the chair and whimpered.
"Sir Meta Knight…we need to leave. All of us do. You can see Kirby later can't you?" The child tried to reason.
"No…this is something that must be done. I created this ship with my own two hands and I will stay by this ship in it's last moments." The blue knight grabbed a spare sword from the armory.
"Sir please! We need to leave! I'm scared…"
"If you're so scared then just go! Leave!" Sword barked. "Go on! Get out of here! We don't need you anyway!"
Sailor Dee whimpered again and clung to the chair. Blade and Meta Knight looked at the dark green knight in surprise. Normally such harsh words would never come from Sword. However, the situation had become so stressful that he took out his frustration on Sailor Dee.
Another explosion was heard across the Halberd.
"Leave this ship now. I will meet the same fate as the Halberd." Meta Knight gave a glance to the Waddle Dee child, then charged down the halls of the falling airship.
Sword and Blade quietly followed their lord down the halls, not realizing the Waddle Dee was still there.
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Despite Sailor Dee's feelings being slightly hurt, he knew Sword didn't really mean what he said. At least he hoped. The Waddle Dee decided to do what he could for the doomed ship. He never piloted a ship before, especially not one as extravagant as the Halberd.
However, he would try for Meta Knight's sake. Before he joined the Halberd crew, Sailor Dee was a homeless child, nowhere to go and no one to go to. Then the blue knight appeared before him. It was by pure luck.
Sailor Dee had always been a misfit because of his incredible gift of engineering and repair. Despite his young age, he knew how to take things apart and put them back together. He had been designing machine parts and repairing things for what seemed like most of his life.
He had just finished making a small machine from various parts he found for fun. Then a Poppy Bro Jr. arrived and asked what he was doing. The young Waddle Dee explained his love of engineering and repairing things. However, the Poppy Bro Jr. laughed then cruelly tore Sailor Dee's work apart.
It seemed like hours he spent crying in that wooded area over the destruction of his machine. Then Sir Meta Knight appeared. Sailor Dee felt like running away. He was scared of what the masked knight might do, but for some reason he stayed put.
The blue knight looked at him in the eyes, then to the scattered parts on the woodland floor.
"Is there something wrong?" Meta Knight asked.
"I-I…someone tore it apart…I made it…they broke it and laughed…" It was all the poor child could say.
"…Can you put it back together?" The blue knight asked.
The Waddle Dee nodded sadly.
"Show me."
Sailor Dee blinked in surprise, but did as he requested. As he built his little contraption again, Meta Knight's focus was on him the entire time. Not once did he look away. When he was finished, the knight looked over his work.
"Did you design this machine yourself?"
Sailor Dee nodded, still a bit awestruck.
"Do you have others?"
He pulled out several blueprints from his hat. Meta Knight scanned over each one with what seemed to be interest then handed them back.
"Shouldn't you be home now? It's quite late to be out at this hour."
"I…I don't have a home…"
"An occupation?"
The Waddle Dee shook his head.
"Then perhaps we could arrange a deal of sorts." Meta Knight arranged. "In exchange for your talents, I will provide a place of living and what is necessary."
Sailor Dee could hardly breathe. The famed knight of the castle had just offered him a job within less than one day of meeting him. He would get to do what he loves and have a home. The answer was obvious.
"I-I accept your offer!" He squeaked.
After Meta Knight talked it over with the king, Sailor Dee had managed to live at the castle. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would ever live in the castle and work on a massive battleship such as the Halberd.
The blue knight had saved him in a way. And now Sailor Dee was going to do everything he could to repay the favor or die trying. He would try to hack into the currently malfunctioning controls. He wouldn't be able to stop the ship from sinking, but he could control how long it would take for it to happen.
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The pink puffball Kirby reached the top of the Halberd. The blue knight he had been trying to find all this time was perched high above on a beam.
"Sir Meta Knight, why have you done this, poyo?!" He shouted angrily.
"Answer me, poyo!" Kirby shouted.
"This is the end! Kirby! Come meet your doom!" The blue knight shouted suddenly, then threw a sword in front of the young Star Warrior.
"So…that's how it's gonna be, poyo…" Kirby said with a tone of sadness.
Meta Knight noticed the tone, and he felt that this wasn't being fair to the young Star Warrior at all. However, this battle would most likely be the last time Kirby would see him. He knew that Kirby was after him, and he knew Kirby had every reason to.
Sword and Blade hid behind several metal barrels, watching the scene unfold.
"Hey, Blade…are they going to fight? I mean…is it serious this time?" Sword asked somewhat worried.
"I don't know Sword. It's hard to tell what Sir Meta Knight is thinking most of the time. We don't even know what his face looks like."
"True…but…I don't want this to be a serious fight. I don't want to be Kirby's enemy…"
"Neither do I, Sword. But…surely our lord must have a legitimate reason…"
They decided to continue watching the events before they decided to interfere. However, both noticed the ship was falling at a much slower rate than before much to their puzzlement.
The pink puffball then picked up the sword and swallowed it, becoming Sword Kirby. He looked up at Meta Knight and gave a hurt look.
"I won't stop until you answer me Meta Knight, poyo!" Kirby yelled.
The blue knight withdrew Galaxia, then jumped down from the beam. The battle had begun.
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Meta Knight began with a down thrust. The pink puffball dodged and swung his sword at the blue knight. The more experienced warrior suddenly stuck Galaxia into the metal of the ship, releasing a wave of light blue energy.
Kirby was struck and fell to the ground. He picked himself up and tried to attack the knight with a sword chop. The attack missed as Meta Knight began spinning around, creating a small whirlwind. The pink puffball was knocked off of his feet once again.
The blue knight used the Multisword Attack, sending Kirby sliding close to the edge of the ship. Kirby stood up shakily, seeing that Meta Knight wasn't attacking. Rather he was watching, as if he was wondering whether his opponent was alright.
This didn't make any sense in Kirby's mind. Meta Knight was attacking him one moment, then looking concerned the next. Not that he had any proof the blue knight was actually pondering Kirby's wellbeing.
He was getting tired of this invasion. He was tired of nobody telling him anything. He was sick of feeling so confused over the knight's actions. Kirby wanted answers even if he had to pry them from Meta Knight by pure force.
Kirby growled and used the exact Multisword Attack his opponent used. This caught the blue knight somewhat off guard, as the attack caused him to skid a few feet away. The experienced warrior paused for a moment, his eyes glowing blue. However, Meta Knight resumed their battle once more.
The caped knight jumped into the air and swung Galaxia, creating the Sword Beam attack. Kirby managed to dodge the attack when it was just centimeters away from his body.
Meta Knight used another down thrust, the pink puffball, evaded the attack once more. Kirby jumped into the air and attacked with a Sword Spin. The side of the blue knight's mask was struck, nearly making contact with his skin.
Then the attacks only came faster. The blue knight was everywhere at once. With each attack, the young Star Warrior would try to guard against his swift movements. Kirby growled in frustration, then began to wildly swing his sword in every direction.
"You're allowing your emotions to control your mind, therefore also affecting your actions." Meta Knight said as he swung again.
"I wouldn't be mad if you didn't start this, poyo!" Kirby frowned, swinging back.
The pink puffball was upset that the masked knight was acting as if none of this was his business. The safety of Dreamland, no, the entirety of Pop Star was his business. That made Meta Knight's invasion his business as well.
The masked knight landed on the ground with ease, then slowly raised Galaxia into the air. Kirby had never seen this sort of technique before. Kirby thought it looked more like the blue knight was stretching, however he knew that it must be some form of attack Meta Knight hasn't shown him before.
And what an attack it was. Suddenly a huge tornado was barreling towards Kirby. He tried to run away from it, only to find that there was no where to escape from the unusual weapon made weather. The next few seconds were spent in that nightmare of a whirlwind. Kirby could barely stand when the tornado finally spit him out.
The young Star Warrior ran forward and began swinging at Meta Knight. He blocked every hit Kirby threw with ease, which only made the pink puffball more frustrated. The blue knight created some distance between them, then began to ready the Mach Tornado once again.
The attack was even more powerful than last time. Kirby tried to distance himself from the tornado, only to be sucked up by the attack again. Several seconds passed by, then a full minute. However, Kirby was no where to be seen.
Meta Knight looked around the area trying to get a glimpse of the pink puffball, only it seemed he disappeared without a trace. He didn't…throw him off the ship did he? As the seconds ticked by and the Halberd getting closer to the ocean with each moment passing, Meta Knight couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry work it's way into his mind.
"Kirby, where are you?!" Meta Knight called out.
He turned around, then the pink puffball showed himself. Kirby jumped from a beam from above and caught Meta Knight unaware. Then it happened.
Kirby's sword went through the middle of Meta Knight's mask.
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Kirby gasped, his stomach lurching at the thought of what damage he could have done to the knight. He hadn't intended to stab him, he was trying to tackle him down. He was angry at the blue knight, yes, but he didn't want to hurt or seriously injure him!
"I never thought…you would be one to attack from behind…Kirby…" Meta Knight muttered softly.
Sword gasped and covered his eyes while Blade quietly shushed him, although the light green knight was just as horrified as his companion.
It seemed like hours had gone by when it was only one second in reality. Kirby screwed his eyes shut in fear, then quickly pulled the sword from Meta Knight's forehead. He slowly opened his eyes to look at the end of the blade.
There was no trace of blood at the end of the weapon, so he thankfully hadn't injured the blue knight. Then he saw the giant crack in the mask. Meta Knight fell to the ground from the force of the sword being removed.
"Meta Knight, poyo…I didn't mean to…" Kirby whimpered.
What happened next changed everything Kirby had thought he knew about Meta Knight.
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The mask had been split into two. The halves clattered on the metal surface of the airship, revealing the blue knight's face.
His very Kirby-like face.
Meta Knight slowly blinked, his yellow eyes adjusting to the light. He glanced toward Kirby, the pink puffball looking far paler than normal. Then the knight's eyes shifted to the broken halves of his mask resting before him.
His eyes widened, turning a pure white color. His expression was unreadable. His cheeks were so similar to Kirby's, only darker in color. As soon as what had just occurred registered into Meta Knight's mind, his cheeks became an even darker shade of red.
"Blade…our lord is…" Sword choked.
"He's a…a…" Blade couldn't comprehend what was happening before their eyes.
Meta Knight's hands slowly raised up, then made a desperate attempt to cover his exposed blushing face. It didn't do anything but increase the tension in the air.
Kirby gave a nervous cough, both puffballs not moving from their spots or letting a single syllable escape their lips.
Then another explosion resounded across the Halberd. Kirby and Meta Knight were blown away by the force of the blast.
The pink puffball awoke an unknown amount of time later, seeing a Wheelie before him as if waiting for his return to the world. Kirby hopped on the Wheelie's back and donned a helmet. He was escaping from the crashing Halberd.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar was heard behind him. "Kirby!"
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The pink puffball named Kirby turned around to see Meta Knight leering at him, the sunset reflecting off his once broken mask. His shadow casting off across the metal surface.
Meta Knight's cape began to float upward, then two large busted from the fabric of his cape. The cape transformed into wings before Kirby's very eyes, the wings began to stretch to their full length.
Then the blue knight nearly divebombed the young Star Warrior. Kirby squealed and took off on the Wheelie. The winged warrior pursued him relentlessly.
"I won't let you escape!" He growled, almost beast like.
Kirby knew his secret. A secret he had been so careful, so precautious to keep from everyone. And after what had occurred today, the blue knight presumed Kirby would no doubt tell anyone who would listen. He had to stop him. He spent years trying to keep his secret buried, and he needed it to stay that way.
Kirby squealed in fright, the Wheelie picking up pace. Meta Knight followed just a thread behind. With one final burst of speed, the Wheelie and Kirby escaped from the crazed knight and did an impressive landing off the Halberd and onto a nearby beach.
Meta Knight growled, preparing to chase them down on land if needed. Then he heard the sound of shouting.
"Sir, let it go!" Sword ran to the knight, along with Blade.
"He's gone! It's over! We lost and we need to get out of here!" Blade yelled, snapping Meta Knight out of his state of mind.
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Wordlessly, Meta Knight grabbed Sword with one hand and Blade with the other. With all of his strength, he carried both knaves off the ship and flew to safety on one of the many beaches around Orange Ocean. The moment they landed, all they could do was watch as the Halberd hit the water and slowly sink below the waves.
"Sword…Blade…How much of what occurred did you witness?" Meta Knight asked slowly.
"…Everything, sir." Sword and Blade answered in unison.
"I suppose…any respect I've earned from you has vanished?" The blue knight turned away from them, too ashamed to face them.
"Sir…what would make you think that?" Blade asked.
"My secret doesn't bother you? Are you both content with serving a…puffball?"
"Well, we were surprised at first…" Blade said. "But you're still the same Meta Knight."
"Just because you're a puffball doesn't mean we've lost all respect for you. We'll never forget everything you've done for us." Sword nodded.
Meta Knight turned around, his eyes were glowing blue for a few moments. "…Thank you."
"So…how do you think everyone will react if we come back to the village?" Blade asked, deciding to finally ask the question on everyone's mind.
"Most likely, we won't receive a warm reception anymore…" Meta Knight answered.
"…So we might have to leave?" The light green knight asked, somewhat hesitant.
"It's very possible…"
Sword suddenly began wandering closer to the waters, staring out at the sunset quietly. They brushed it off as the dark green knight lamenting over having to leave Dreamland.
"Meta Knight, did you notice that the ship began to fall much more slowly during your fight with Kirby?" Blade asked.
"Yes, I believe that miracle is the only reason we are alive and breathing at this moment."
"I wonder what could of caused that. Still, I'm just thankful that everyone is safe. All of us could have met our demise…"
Meta Knight frowned underneath the mask, feeling a stab of guilt for putting his crew in such danger. Had he known of such consequences, he would have never approved of this operation.
The silence was suddenly broken when the two heard soft quiet sniffles from Sword. The dark green knight slowly turned around and approached his comrades, clenching something in his fists.
"Sword…what's wrong? What is it?" Blade asked slowly, showing concern for his partner.
Sword gradually raised his closed fists up to eye level, then forced his hands to pry apart. The object in his hands became visible.
It was a sailor hat.
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Sword and Meta Knight gasped in shock. They understood what had happened, but they desperately didn't want it to be true. Everyone closed their eyes just hoping it would be some sort of nightmare and they would wake up…but it wasn't. It was reality.
"Sailor Dee…he…he was on the Halberd…" Blade choked. "He went down with it…"
"He must have delayed the ship's crash…" Sword sniffled again. "He gave his life for ours…"
Meta Knight's eyes turned white in surprise and disbelief. The guilt bubbling inside him was maddening. There was no one else to blame but himself. He was responsible for the death of Sailor Dee.
Sword's breathing became heavier. "No…no! He can't be! He's alright! We just need to find him!"
"Sword…he's gone…" Blade sighed in agony. "Even if we found him…he wouldn't be…" He couldn't finish the sentence. It was too painful.
"Blade…I'm worse than Captain Vul…This is my fault!" Sword hiccupped. "He was probably too scared to leave! I scared him into staying!"
"Sword, you didn't…it isn't your fault. It's nobody's fault…"
"Yes it is! M-My last words to him were telling Sailor Dee that we didn't need him! I'm terrible! I'm disgusted with myself! It should have been me!"
Sword kicked the sand in anger. "Why couldn't it have been me…?"
The dark green knight abruptly burst into a sprint and ran along the beach while screaming for Sailor Dee. Blade hurried after him, knowing that it was a lost cause.
And all Meta Knight could do was stare at his own hands in loathing. Sailor Dee was gone and it was all his doing. He tried to calm himself, he didn't want to break in front of his men. He didn't shed a single tear, but the remorse was overwhelming.
The events that were occurring now were happening because of him. Most of Dreamland probably lost any amount of respect they held for him, he had broken the trust between himself and his student Kirby, and Sailor Dee had given his life to repair his mistake.
His mind continued to wander to thoughts of what the poor child's last moments were. Could it have been the smoke? The fire? The crash itself? The ocean swallowing him up? It was just too much.
"I am responsible for the murder of a child…"
Author's Note: Okay, I know I haven't updated in a while. Then I update and leave you with a very mean cliffhanger. Bad Leer. Anyway, I'll try to update much quicker this time.
Okay, let me explain to you a thing. In this fanfiction universe, Meta Knight's natural eyecolor is yellow. I have reasons for this. As for why the color dulls on his mask when he sleeps, this will be explained later and have actual relevance to the story. Moving on!
The next chapter will explain why Meta Knight decided to invade Dreamland. And why he battled with Kirby. Sailor Dee...he was the true hero of this chapter. What a trooper!