The three knights were prepared to go on their journey, their supplies packed and their minds set. They were to depart for King Dedede's other castle and also begin their quest. The length of their adventure was still uncertain, but then again Sword and Blade weren't completely aware of why Meta Knight needed to 'find his inner self' in the first place.
The blue knight was still being secretive, all they knew was that something was wrong with him. They had known that already, but finding the source of the problem was going to be a bit more difficult. Meta Knight had done so much for them, they could only wonder how their lives would have decayed had they not met him. The blue Star Warrior made them who they were today, and for that, they would always be grateful.
"Waaait!" A voice called before the three knights could depart.
Sailor Dee was running down the hall towards them, along with Kirby.
"Sir Meta Knight, poyo! Is it true? Are you leaving?!" Kirby asked, sprinting to his mentor.
"You can't leave, sir! This is your home! Don't run away!" Sailor Dee cried.
The two children cried, genuinely distraught at the idea that Meta Knight could leave and never return.
"Kirby, Sailor Dee, this is only a temporary absence. I am not leaving Dreamland forever." The blue knight explained gently, somewhat bothered at the sight of the crying children.
"Then that means that you'll be back, right?" Sailor Dee asked.
"Really? Really really, poyo? You promise you'll be back?"
"I promise." Meta Knight has a small smile underneath his mask, unknown to anyone else but the older Star Warrior.
"But…Sir, why are you leaving?" Sailor Dee inquired.
"…" The blue knight couldn't answer.
"Uh, Sir Meta Knight isn't feeling too well." Sword began.
"So Sir Arthur told him that he needed to…um…travel a bit to ease his mind." Blade finished, pausing between words.
It technically wasn't a lie.
"Oh, Sir Meta Knight, you're going on vacation, poyo! I should have known!" Kirby laughed. "That should make you feel lots better!"
"Ah, yes…a vacation…" Meta Knight decided to play along with the pink puff.
If Kirby knew about the quest, it might worry the little hero or make him want to join the masked knight. Meta Knight already felt quite reluctant to bring Sword and Blade along, and bringing Kirby would only add fuel to the fire.
If either Sword, Blade, or Kirby knew the truth…he knew they would never look at him the same way again.
"You relax on your vacation, sir!" Sailor Dee saluted. "You took care of me when I was sick, and I wish I could do the same for you. I could take really good care of your room while your gone if you like."
"That's quite alright Sailor Dee, but it's unnecessary." Meta Knight responded.
"So where are you going to first, poyo?" Kirby asked.
"Uhm…we're going to spend some of the day in Green Greens." Sword answered.
"That sounds like fun, poyo! Tell me all about your vacation when you get back!"
"Take care, sir! Please remember to relax and focus on getting better!" The Waddle Dee said.
The three knights were almost out of the castle's territory when Chris the Janitor approached them in the gardens.
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"So…going on 'vacation' huh?"
"Mhmm." Sword nodded. "We're going to Green Greens to relax."
"…I know what you three are really doing. You're going on a trip, aren't you? Some kind of adventure." The orange Waddle Dee stated.
"…How did you know?" Blade asked, feeling alarmed at the janitor's knowledge.
"I'm the janitor. I hear things, man." Chris explained rather vaguely.
"…Do you intend to tell Kirby and Sailor Dee the truth of our absence?" Meta Knight inquired.
"Nah. I mean, it's alright to go out there and see the world. I did it myself once, though I wasn't doing honest work. But…that isn't why I wanted to talk to you."
"What did you want to tell us? It sounds quite important." Blade stared at the Waddle Dee.
Chris the Janitor sighed. "I know I said this before, but I feel that I really need to get the point across now in case you decide to do something daring."
The orange Waddle Dee looked very serious. "If you're looking for The Broken Village, just stop while you're ahead. If you find it by accident, immediately turn in the opposite direction. It's a place that was never meant to be discovered. I promise that if you go in there, you might come out a different man."
"Chris, you make it sound like it's the most dreadful place in the Gamble Galaxy. Yes, I admit that the place sounds terrifying, but we survived the war against Nightmare. So what could be there that could possibly be worse?" Sword crossed his small arms.
The janitor shook his head slowly. "You have no idea, do you? But maybe it's for the best that you don't. Really, I think you would have to experience The Broken Village yourself to truly understand the horror it leaves on you. But…please don't look for it. Not that I can stop you."
"I assume that you are aware of the Galaxy Soldier Army's investigation of The Broken Village?" Meta Knight asked Chris.
"Yeah. I heard. Not sure how I feel about it though…" The janitor sighed. "Man, I'm gonna miss you guys. You three were the best cleaning buddies I've ever had. You guys never ditched me to handle the jobs you didn't want to do. And well…that means a lot to me. It's a nice breath of fresh air."
"It would be dishonorable to abandon our workstation to someone else." Meta Knight responded.
"Yeah, it seems like you three have the right morals. Seeing less and less of people like you…it'll be weird not seeing you guys around for a while. Hope you find what your looking for on your 'vacation'." They could tell that Chris was smiling, even with the lack of mouth.
"But…please remember what I said. If you do find that place…and you're absolutely insistent on going there…don't stay too long. You don't have to follow my advice, but I wish that you would."
"We will keep your words in mind. However, as of right now our business is with King Dedede." Meta Knight responded.
"Well then, you better go. His castle should be right where it was last time. Not sure what he's doing there though. Good luck." The orange Waddle Dee waved as the knights departed.
The Waddle Dee janitor began to finish sweeping the castle's front, humming to himself.
Suddenly, Chris had the feeling that he wasn't alone.
"Alright, Armin. Where ya hiding?" Chris laughed. "We can play hide and seek later."
There was no answer or a soft childish giggle. Armin would have given himself away after he heard his name.
"…Who's there? Show yourself! I know how to use a mop, and I won't think twice about using it!"
Then something grabbed the Waddle Dee from behind, who yelped in surprise.
"Wait, where are you taking me? What are you going to do with that rope?! …WHO WILL WASH THE WINDOWS?!"
-
Meta Knight, Sword, and Blade walked along the fresh fields of Green Greens, taking just a bit of time to admire the peaceful serenity of the area. It felt a bit odd to them, they had been on guard against Nightmare for so long that the tranquility seemed too good to be true.
"It seems a bit odd to be outside of the castle." Sword stated. "We've never actually seen much of Pop Star, have we?"
"Not really." Blade answered. "Green Greens is so close by and yet we aren't that familiar with it's scenery."
"Hey Blade…" The green knight whispered. "Do you think there's something wrong with Sir Meta Knight? I mean something really wrong?"
"I don't know Sword. It certainly is suspicious though…" The light green knave thought aloud. "I know what we'll do. We'll watch him very closely and then we might be able to piece something together. He can't really avoid us here, can he?"
The two knaves eyed the blue knight, who remained as silent as ever. The masked Star Warrior was far too lost in his thoughts to listen to his knaves' whispering.
Meta Knight could see images pass through his mind. Images of himself in the GSA during the times of war. He could no longer focus on the path ahead at the moment, instead reminiscing on his life in the past.
-
During the times of war, the GSA were at their prime. Warriors of every magnitude graced the halls of the Galaxy Soldier Army's base. A large portion of these soldiers were the puffball race, though there were plenty of other species to join the ranks as well.
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"Sir Meta Knight, this is your first time in the headquarters, isn't it?" Sir Arthur asked the blue knight.
"Yes, sir."
"Quiet and aloof as always, aren't you? It makes me wonder if you were born into the world with a frown on your face. Anyway, you've just completed your training, so now you're a part of the GSA!' The golden armored knight clapped.
"It is an honor, Sir Arthur."
"No, it's an honor to fight alongside so many brave and skilled warriors everyday. Sir Meta Knight, you truly are one of a kind. Never have I seen such breathtaking battle styling."
"I am quite sure there are plenty more warriors far more deserving of your praise."
"You're so modest, Sir Meta Knight. At least flaunt the fact that you're one of the few warriors that managed to complete the training course far faster than others. Actually, you completed training faster than anyone on record! You must be proud of that."
"I am content with defending the galaxy. That is the reason I became part of the GSA." Meta Knight answered.
"Spoken like a true knight. Fame and glory aren't what you desire. Keeping the galaxy safe from Nightmare is why the GSA was formed, and we must do our best to accomplish that."
The two arrived in the central room of the base, also known as the hub. It was the origin point of the entire building, and it was where all supplies passed through. In short, it was the heart of the structure.
"Now as you know, the GSA's soldiers are divided into certain groups called sectors. This makes it easier to sort out our soldiers, and keep everything in order. Sir Meta Knight, you will be apart of Sector H. You probably know the rest of your sector, as you went into training with them." Sir Arthur motioned to Sector H's section of the large base.
The blue knight entered the H portion of the GSA's headquarters. The three other puffballs that had joined him during the training portion were there, Dragato, Nonsurat, and Falspar.
However, there were three unfamiliar to the masked puffball.
The first soldier was a woman. She had a humanoid shape, her skin and hair were colored a light shade of lavender. Her hair was styled into a ponytail and wore a golden tiara with a blue gem embedded in the center. The lavender woman donned a light blue sleeveless dress, brown shoes, light green gloves, and a pink plate across her chest and shoulders. Her eyes were the rare color of magenta, yet held a loving quality to them.
The second soldier was standing in the corner of the room with a sullen expression. This warrior didn't look much like one. He seemed far more akin to a ninja. His body was shaped almost like an upside down egg, only a small portion of his very light brown skin was visible. His robes were black in color and wore a brown ponytail, a sheathed katana could be seen on his back. The ninja's eyes were a cold navy blue and seemed to be in a state of unrest.
The third soldier was probably the strangest. A purplish skinned humanoid with spiky blonde hair. His ears were pointed, giving him an elflike appearance. He had a gray mask over his face while wearing a grayish-blue short-sleeved jumpsuit with white linings and a star on the front. He was fairly muscular, being the most built one in the room. But something about him seemed so odd, and the blue Star Warrior couldn't quite understand why.
The group seemed to acknowledge him at last, his quiet entry going mostly unnoticed.
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"Yo Mety! You're in Sector H too?" Falspar laughed.
"It would seem so." Meta Knight calmly replied, mostly used to the behavior of the mohawk possessing knight by now.
"This is Sir Meta Knight. He broke the GSA's record for the fastest completion of the training course." Dragato introduced the blue knight to the three unfamiliar soldiers.
The lavender woman looked intrigued. "Hmm. Then why is it that you've only started duty today if you finished early?"
"Sir Meta Knight was chosen to take additional training…from Sir Arthur." Nonsurat spoke in his soft voice.
"Whoa whoa whoa! You're the student of Sir Arthur?!" The blonde man gasped. "Are you his relative or something?"
The pointed eared man was getting uncomfortably close to the blue knight. Meta Knight suddenly felt self conscious. Everyone was staring at him.
"Now Jecra, that's his business. Stop putting your nonexistent nose where it doesn't belong." The lavender skinned woman grabbed the man known as Jecra by one of his pointed ears.
"Ow ow ow! You promised you would stop doing that!"
"Meta, you're so lucky to get Sir Arthur as your mentor. We were stuck with Kit Dakonyo Cosmos for training." Falspar pouted. "That guy hates me for some reason."
"You asked him if he was a hobo." Jecra clarified.
"What? It was a reasonable question! Tell me he doesn't look like a hobo!" The green puff defended.
"Falspar, why is it that no matter how small of a task something may be, you manage to fail in the absolute worst way conceivable?" Dragato crossed his stubby arms.
"Oh, I'm sorry princess." Falspar fluttered his eyes. "All of us can't be as pretty and flawless as you."
"At least you will never be." The purple puff retorted.
"Hmph! You're just jealous that you'll never have hair as awesome as mine!" Falspar smirked, motioning to his red mohawk.
Dragato rolled his eyes underneath his mask and scoffed.
"So, I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves." The woman said. "I'm Garlude, the one sulking in the corner over there is Yamikage, and the blonde is Jecra."
Yamikage uttered a small grunt in acknowledgement.
"So, what are we supposed to be doing now?" Jecra asked. "We're here, but we don't have any assignments."
"For the time being, we are guarding the base. As everyone knows, this base is mostly underground to avoid detection." Garlude explained. "However, just because our base is camouflaged doesn't mean it's invulnerable."
"So we're on guard duty? Boring." Falspar sighed.
"Be glad that we're not on the battlefield today." Jecra frowned. "Most of the soldiers are at Hotbeat right now fighting Nightmare's forces."
A few in the room shuddered. Hotbeat was well known for it's downright brutal environment, but adding a battle to it made the planet even more life-threatening.
"Sir Arthur would never send new recruits to Hotbeat. Only if a crisis was at hand." Dragato pointed out.
"Still, it feels like we're not real soldiers if we can't help…" The green puff said.
"We're doing what's best right now." Garlude answered. "Our place is here for the time being. When Sir Arthur needs us on the battlefield, he will let us know. He just doesn't want to put rookies in the line of fire, and I can understand that."
"Falspar, I'm sure that Sir Arthur will give us something important to do soon…" Nonsurat spoke quietly.
"Yeah but…" The redhead's suddenly frowned. "I just…I'm just so tired of this war. How many more people have to get hurt before this mess is over?"
"I don't know." Garlude shook her head. "This war has been active even before we were born."
"But Garlude…" Jecra interjected. "Isn't that why we're here? To make a difference? To create a better future with our own hands?"
"…You're right. We're here now so the innocent can have a safer future." The lavender skinned warrior nodded with a small smile.
Suddenly, the door to Sector H opened. Sir Arthur stepped in the room seeming at ease.
"Hello everyone! Welcome to Sector H! I'm sorry that I failed to give you the tour earlier. Some…business came up. But now I believe that it's important that you get to know the base's layout."
The small group followed Sir Arthur to the main room that Meta Knight was in earlier.
"This area is known as the hub. I'm sure I mentioned this before, but this is the heart of the structure. It's where most of the supplies comes through, and where we make exports as well." Sir Arthur explained.
"Exports? But…what would we be shipping out?" Jecra asked.
"Sometimes we have to sell things under an anonymous identity to obtain army funds. This place is mostly self-running, but we need money to help keep our resistance going."
The group stopped in another room with rows of seats in a circular pattern. Almost like an arena.
"This is the council room. Whenever an important event rises, all of the GSA gathers in this room. Maybe it's war plans or ideas, or to discuss recent happenings. Whatever the reason, we gather here."
Continuing onward, the next room seemed to be a grand combination of a garage, a bar, and a shop. A few weapons hung on the walls of the shop section, several pieces of machinery were scattered around in odd places.
"This is the armory and mechanic workshop. This is where new weapons are developed and armor, so I believe that Sir Nonsurat will be working here for a large period of time."
Nonsurat blushed at his name being mentioned.
"We also recently hired an inventor, as well as a shop keeper. He's the one that will maintain most of the GSA's exports, so he has a heavy job on his shoulders. Falspar, perhaps you know him?"
The redheaded puff looked confused. Then he heard a voice from behind the counter.
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"Did I hear my favorite idiot's name?" The voice was good natured, no trace of malice at all.
A puffball stepped from behind the counter. His skin was black, a rare color for puffballs and his eyes were white. His yellow feet seemed so odd with the rest of his color scheme, but the true oddity was his face. His face was covered by an odd mask, shaped somewhat like a feline with a wide grin.
"No way…" The darker green puff grinned. "Beta…?"
"Buenos dias, amigo! So Falspar, looks like they let ya in." The puffball known as Beta chuckled.
"Haha! Same to you!"
"Do you both…know each other?" Dragato questioned.
"Of course! Me and Beta were friends since we were pufflets!" Falspar laughed. "Ah, we were both so cute! Getting into trouble, harassing the neighbors, making things explode…"
"Weren't those things mostly your fault?" The black puffball smirked.
"Shhh…" The green puff shushed.
Sir Arthur chuckled. "Both of you even signed up at the same time. I was impressed by Beta's knowledge of machinery, and I couldn't have chosen a better mechanic."
"Well…I'll try my best. Just know that everything probably won't be perfect the first time around. Expect a few haywire electronics." Beta warned.
"Of course. Nothing can be perfection one hundred percent of the time. But I do know that you are capable of great things. Everyone here is. In fact…after looking over the new recruits from each sector…I believe that we might actually have a large chance of succeeding. …This war might be coming to a close because of these newcomers."
Hearing those words made the new soldiers minds feel at ease. To hear such praise from Sir Arthur was certainly a grand reward. High hopes were placed on them, but the group of Sector H felt as though they could contribute to the GSA.
Sector H soon returned to their section of the base, along with Sir Arthur.
"Now, I'll announce your dorm partners." Sir Arthur cleared his throat.
"Lady Garlude gets her own dorm room. Sir Nonsurat and Yamikage are partners. Sir Falspar and Sir Dragato-"
"NOOOOO!" Falspar yelled to the sky, falling to the ground in melodramatic fashion.
"-and Sir Meta Knight will share a room with Sir Jecra. Are there any questions or comments?"
"Yes!" The redheaded puff shouted. "My doctor told me that if I'm too close to Dragato, I'll die."
"Very well then. Since there are no complaints, I'll leave you to it!" Sir Arthur cheerily responded. "You'll start duty tomorrow, so everyone make sure to get a full night's rest!"
Falspar whimpered pathetically as Sir Dragato scoffed at the green puff.
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The soldiers separated to their respectable dorm rooms, the blue knight felt somewhat adamant over the ordeal. Sir Arthur had high expectations for him, and he wanted to become something that his mentor could be proud of.
He certainly didn't join the GSA to make friends, and his roommate wasn't making that easy. Jecra was far too upbeat and easygoing, two traits that didn't set well with the blue Star Warrior. He acted too much like Falspar.
Meta Knight didn't want anything to do with these soldiers besides doing what must be done for the GSA. The blonde seemed so intent on making some sort of connection with the blue puffball, much to the masked puffball's chagrin.
"…You don't talk much, do you?" Jecra said after a short moment of silence.
"Tomorrow is an important day. Sir Arthur expects us to be at our best condition, so I would advise you to rest." The blue puffball replied, despite his inner annoyance.
"Heh, you're one of those loner types." Jecra smiled. "You're like Yamikage, you seem to want everyone to leave you alone."
The blue knight decided to just ignore this overly enthusiastic man, yet he continued to speak despite the fact that the Meta Knight didn't want to interact with him at all.
"But…I bet that you really want to be around people. You just don't know how to do it."
Meta Knight silently covered himself with the bed sheets, not replying to the blonde.
"Hehe, it's alright. I won't tell anyone. Goodnight!" Jecra laughed, falling asleep in his own bed.
Then the man's soft snores could be heard. Meta Knight turned over in his bed, feeling a slight bit of irritation. Yet, he didn't know why Jecra's words bothered him. He came to the conclusion that he was simply tired from the day, and so he closed his eyes.
-
"…Knight."
"Sir Meta…"
"Sir Meta Knight!"
"Hmm?" Meta Knight's eyes snapped open, then turned towards his knaves. "Yes? Is there something wrong?"
"We're here. At King Dedede's castle." Sword explained, concern evident in his voice.
"…Ah, so we are." He observed.
"Sir Meta Knight, are you alright?" Blade asked worriedly.
"I am. I was in deep thought."
"What were you thinking about?" The darker green knight asked.
"Oh, just something from the past." The blue knight answered vaguely before entering Dedede's new castle.
Sitting in the middle of the castle was the tubby penguin munching on a drumstick. Bandana Dee sat beside his throne eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The two took notice of the three knaves as they approached the throne.
(watch?v=bQ5wBzlxvj0)
"Well, look who's finally up and about sleeping beauty." King Dedede took a bite. "So, why'd ya come out here anyway? Don't you be thinking that I stole any of this. Bandana Dee made me this chicken, and I made him that sandwich."
"No, we actually came here to discuss our probation." Blade corrected.
"Go on." Dedede yawned.
"Sir Arthur has instructed that I take a personal leave. However, this also interferes with our probation time." Meta Knight explained.
"That it does." The king of Dreamland agreed.
"So…" Sword paused.
The penguin laughed. "Tell ya what. I'll make you guys a deal. If Meta Knight can win in a fight against me, I'l give ya your title back and free you of probation."
"That sounds a bit easy." Blade remarked.
"But I'll be using my new hammer. A test hammer I've been working on. If I win, you three will be on probation for an additional year…and you have to wear whatever I want you to."
"Sir Meta Knight…please win. I have a feeling he'll be going for the maid outfit!" Sword frantically whispered.
"Not to worry. This will be over soon." Meta Knight responded.
"Bandana Dee…prepare the areeeenaaaa!" The king did a dramatic pose, pointing his finger in the air with a wide grin.
"Preparing the arena, Great King!"
The door behind the knights suddenly closed with iron bars over the entrance, as well as the windows.
The Waddle Dee scuttled towards a switch on the wall, then pulled the lever. The room began to rumble, then the floor parted to reveal what looked like a wrestling ring. Waddle Dees swarmed from every direction to fill up the stands around the arena.
The penguin king stepped into the ring, then a few Waddle Dees presented him with a hammer. The hammer looked similar to his old one, but it had a few small metal pieces on it. He picked up the weapon as Meta Knight and his knaves took their positions.
A group of Waddle Dees began to take out several instruments, then turned towards their king. King Dedede chuckled, then struck a dramatic pose once again.
"It's Hammer Time!"
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King Dedede lifted his new hammer into the air, then slammed it into the ground. The impact was so powerful, it created blue energy waves. The knights barely dodged the attack, the ground shaking somewhat around them.
Meta Knight jumped into the air, slashing at the base of the hammer. The penguin performed a rather impressive jump for someone of his stature, then lifted his weapon. A small hatch opened on the king's weapon revealing a few small missiles.
"M-Missiles?!" Blade said in shock.
"B-But…how does that work?! How do they fit inside the hammer?" Sword was dumbfounded.
"You're about to find out!" Dedede announced with a chuckle.
Several missiles shot into the air, then targeted the three knights. They soon pieced together that they were homing missiles. Try as they might, the knights couldn't evade them. The moment they slashed at their targets, they exploded.
"His Majesty certainly put much thought into his strategy." Meta Knight acknowledged.
"Haha! I just got started! Get a load of this!" King Dedede gave a mighty laugh, then began to spin around.
Meta Knight rushed forward, then guarded with Galaxia. Dedede jumped backwards, he slammed his new hammer into the ground once again. Meta Knight and his knaves jumped and slashed the handle. It had no effect.
"Whoo! Go King! Go King! Whoo!" The Waddle Dees cheered, Bandana Dee danced I with joy.
The penguin grinned and waved at his Waddle Dee audience and proceeded to jump around the arena. No matter what method of attack Meta Knight and his knaves used, it did nothing to damage the king's improved weapon.
"Sir Meta Knight, nothing's working." Blade pointed out. "He must have planned this. We walked into it."
Sword groaned. "I don't want another year of probation! We need to think of something!"
King Dedede snickered. "Time to end it!"
The hammer's hatch opened up, revealing an enormous amount of missiles, an amount that seemed far too many for a hammer of that size to contain. The missiles shot out of the hammer I with such force that it almost made the tubby penguin fall on his back.
Meta Knight and his knaves were cornered. Sword and Blade braced for impact.
The blue knight stood still, his eyes glowing green for a brief moment. He suddenly broke into a sprint, then ran behind King Dedede and his hammer.
The missiles changed direction, now heading towards the sender. Meta Knight, Sword, and Blade quickly jumped out of the ring.
King Dedede gaped. "Now hold on just a diddly-darn minute!"
The penguin ran around the arena in a panic. The missiles chased him relentlessly while the Waddle Dees only stared on in confusion.
"What's going on? Is this part of the act?" One of them whispered.
"I dunno! I just came here for the explosions!" Another chirped gleefully.
"Wait a minute! I'll just disable em'!" The King of Dreamland smirked, pushing a small button on the hammer.
The missiles showed no sign of slowing down.
"What the-? Jammed?!" King Dedede continuously pushed the button while continuing to flee from his own weapons.
The missiles suddenly stopped in mid air.
"Whew!" He breathed a sigh of relief.
Then they grew in size, spikes suddenly appearing on the missiles. They zoomed towards the king even faster than before. Somehow…
The king froze, mouth agape. "…Mother?"
"BOOOM!"
"…Great King?" Bandana Dee squeaked, pulling his bandana over his eyes.
"Ooooh…I think we're gonna need a new king." A Waddle Dee winced.
"I think he's dead."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's dead." Another nodded.
King Dedede raised his hand into the air from where he was on the floor of the ring. Hisbody and clothes stained black from the explosions. "I'm still alive!"
"No, he's fine, see?" A Waddle Dee said.
Meanwhile Bandana Dee was hyperventilating, using his bandana in place of a paper bag.
Suddenly, the arena began to rumble. The roof of the arena caved in, landing on the poor king below.
"Okay, now he's dead." The Waddle Dee confirmed.
Bandana Dee swooned, then fainted.
-
"Okay…easy…easy…"
The Waddle Dees were assisting the king with getting him out of the rubble. The King of Dreamland was alive and conscious, and surprisingly had not sustained serious injury. Bandana Dee was still passed out, the various Waddle Dees trying to awake him by pouring water on his face.
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"Well…we've caused quite an uproar…" Blade sighed, playing with his gloved hands slightly.
"And property damage. Don't forget the property damage." Sword added, nodding sagely.
"Yes, all of those things are true." King Dedede nodded, sitting on his throne.
"…What is your decree, Your Majesty?" Meta Knight asked the question everyone in the room wanted to know.
"Well…" The king put his yellow gloved hand to his chin. "You three did send my own missiles towards me…missiles that somehow grew spikes. Still trying to wrap my head around how that happened…"
A few Waddle Dees snickered quietly.
"…and my arena did collapse. On me I might add. Thanks for that by the way…and my hammer is completely totaled."
King Dedede held up the few bits of metal and wood that was once his beloved weapon.
"Legally, this is quite illegal. In fact, I'd go as far to say it's downright unlawful." The penguin nodded.
Sword and Blade felt their hearts sink. After all the trouble they had been immersed in through the past few weeks, it was about to get much worse.
"However…at the risk of being blown up again…I have decided to disregard what's happened and let you go."
"…" Everyone was quiet, in silent shock.
"Well, the truth was…" Dedede scratched the back of his head. "I was actually gonna let you go even if you did lose. Ya see…ever since I put you three to work, some of the Waddle Dees suddenly got the thought in their head that they could skip work and go frolic or something…"
Blade was gaping underneath the mask, Sword felt like crying either from irritation or relief, while Meta Knight was simply grateful they were no longer bound by their probation.
"Besides, I think this probation thing was punishing me more than you. I mean, I had to get up early to wake you guys up, and a face as unparalleled as mine needs beauty sleep."
Sword rolled his eyes, along with a few other Waddle Dees.
"But ya see…you three really aren't that good at housework. I mean, Sir Meta Knight and ponytail aren't that bad…but green guy, I don't think that even Chris the Janitor can help you."
The green knight silently huffed, holding back a snappy response.
"There was the chili plant thing…the smelly garbage from the storage room that the smell leaked into the castle after the door was opened for so long…and then there was the time I asked you to cook something from scratch…I can still feel the burns on my tongue and that was weeks ago…"
"Is he..just going to rant about how bad we are at his chores? And besides, that meal was mostly Sir Meta Knight…" Sword thought, frowning.
"And on top of that, I had to stop what I was doing most of the time to check on you three. So really, I was the one taking the loss here. So, I'm letting you go because you three have become a liability." The king said, grinning.
"Your Majesty…" Meta Knight said somewhat slowly. "…Why did you go to such lengths so you could challenge us? What was the purpose of this?"
"Well, first of all I was bored out of my mind. Second, I wanted to test out that new hammer some of the Waddle Dees were working on…but mostly…it's because I've been thinking…"
The King of Dreamland sighed. "How many times have I been forced to watch as my kingdom gets run into the ground? Dark Matter tried to take over three times…and now there's the recent Marx incident that's all over Pop Star now, but that was so unexpected so it doesn't really count. But it really took it's toll on the little pink guy…"
King Dedede suddenly looked very serious. "C'mere. I wanna tell you something. Just Meta Knight."
Sword and Blade looked at the penguin, then their lord in confusion. He nodded to his knaves, then to the king.
The king stood up from his throne, then walked to the only open door in the castle with the blue knight following. The door in the back of the throne room. None of the Waddle Dees or the knaves moved, they knew that they weren't supposed to hear what was going to be said. Still, they strained to listen but couldn't.
(watch?v=xlHi4FlI3-U)
"Sir Meta Knight…that whole invasion thing…it made me do some thinking…" King Dedede frowned.
"Your Majesty, I am sincerely remorseful for-"
The king held up his yellow gloved hand for silence. "…The truth was, it kind of hurt me when that happened. Ya see, I kinda thought of you as someone reliable. Silent, but watchful. And…they always say it's the quiet ones ya gotta watch out for…but…I sorta thought of you as a friend."
The masked kinght was genuinely confused. This couldn't be the real King Dedede standing before him, could it?
"Some time ago…I heard a little of what that Knuckle Joe kid was saying…he said you would have made a better king than I ever would…and well…"
Meta Knight opened his mouth to speak, but King Dedede somehow knew. He held up his hand again to silence the knight.
"The horrible disgusting reality is…he was right…"
The blue puff's eyes widened. He looked up at the king, the penguin looked genuinely upset.
"Sir Meta Knight…you invading made me realize…I'm not as good of a king as I could be. The town thinks I'm the King of Evil, and in a way I can understand that. I've done some bad things in the past…"
The King turned away from the blue puff, the penguin's arms crossed.
"That's why I wanted to fight you. You're the very image of strength. I thought that maybe by fighting you, I could get a better understanding of that. See you in action. But really…"
King Dedede turned around, a lone tear fell from the king's eye. "I just…wanna be a better, stronger king…"
"Your Majesty…" Meta Knight spoke with a firm tone. "I believe that you already are…"
"…Heh, I…I guess I am if you think so…" King Dedede chuckled lightly.
The king stared down at Meta Knight, a somewhat stern look occupied the penguin's face. "Sir Meta Knight…something' is goin' on…those GSA guys…they're here for a reason."
"…" The knight remained silent as ever.
"…Sir Meta Knight, I don't really know what's goin' on…but I do know that this has gotta be a part of it. I've noticed how you've been actin' lately…you've gotten absentminded, wandering around the halls aimlessly at night like a lost cat…"
"…"
"It's alright. You don't have to tell me anything…but…I can't help but feel that something ill is rising somewhere…don't know if it has to do with you…but take care of yourself, alright? It's bad enough that the pink puff has been such a sad sack. He's doing better…but…"
The king shook his head to prevent the continuation of his sentence.
"What I'm trying to say is…whatever it is that you're looking for…try your hardest to find it. Don't hurt yourself out there, alright? I mean, you were in the army…but ya still don't know what's out there…do ya know what I'm saying?"
"Yes Your Majesty, I believe that I do." Meta Knight replied.
"Good…and this conversation…"
"Is sealed between us. I understand your wishes." The blue knight bowed as a sign of respect.
The king opened the door, the blue knight exited the castle along with his knaves. Some of the Waddle Dees whispered amongst themselves, murmuring about what sort of conversation occurred behind that door.
"Heh…good luck Sir Meta Knight…I believe in ya…"
The king chuckled to himself, then felt a soft tap on his back.
"AAAGH!" King Dedede turned around, hand over his heart in alarm. "Bandana Dee!"
"Hello, Great King." Bandana Dee replied cheerfully.
"But you…I was…! How much did you…weren't you passed out or something?!"
Bandana Dee just giggled.
-
"Sir Meta Knight…" Sword said as they walked away from the castle. "What were you and King Dedede talking about?"
"By royal commandment, I am forbidden to speak of the conversation's details." The blue knight answered calmly.
"But can't you just give us a little hint? Any clue at all?" The green knight begged.
"Sword, if Sir Meta Knight said that it is forbidded, then we leave it at that." Blade scolded his more impatient companion.
"Even though I am curious as well…" The pony tailed knight thought.
"Fine…" Sword groaned. "So, where are we going to next?"
The blue knight didn't hear his knave, he was lost in his thoughts again. His Majesty had referred to him as 'the very image of strength'…it was rare for anyone to receive such genuine praise from the king…
And yet, from deep within his heart…Meta Knight felt as if he didn't deserve any praise.
"Surely if anyone were to know the truth…" The blue knight shivered inwardly. "That praise would give way to loathing…"
Author's Note: Uuuuugh... it's been over two weeks since I updated. But I have a small list of excuses ready.
1. Steven Universe (Amazing show. Go watch it now.)
2. Majora's Mask 3D (Can't. Stop. Playing. Must save everyone from the moon that for some reason has a face...)
But anyway, lots going on in this arc. First of all, I know nothing really exciting happened in the flashback sequence, but we have to get the introductions out of the way before we can get to the interesting stuff. Beta will be playing an important role in the future, so keep your eyes peeled. Also, yes a few more sectors as well as other soldiers with different roles will be introduced.
Writing the King Dedede section was fun. It makes me a little upset when people still type cast him as a villain. He isn't a villain, but he does make bad decisions sometimes. And he has a hard time expressing his real feelings, so he's a bit tsundere at times. But I think that deep down, some of those comments and insults from the town and others kind of hurt him inside.
So, next chapter our blue knight's quest will continue. More of the GSA will be revealed...
See you next time, and hopefully it won't take half a month to update.