"So, all present have encountered the same type of Demon Beast?" Dragato asked the rest of his Sector once they entered the GSA's base.
They soon found that each group on Floria had been in a similar situation. Multiple armadillo-like creatures were spotted around the planet, but Meta Knight's group was the only one that actually managed to fell one of the Demon Beasts.
Sir Arthur sighed. "I really had no intention of anyone here to fight a Demon Beast, especially not on a first mission. I…I'm just so relieved that no one was fatally wounded…Jecra, how is that scratch? Is it still bleeding?"
"It's alright, Sir Arthur. It's just a scratch. Besides, we saved the people at the village and that's what's important." The blonde brushed off his injury.
"On another note, Meta Knight, Jecra, Garlude…" Sir Arthur beamed. "You have done something that no one in the Galaxy Soldier Army never has accomplished. Your group defeated a Demon Beast on your first mission."
The trio felt a bit of pride welling within them. It truly was a marvelous feeling. They were on the road to being exceptional soldiers, and one step closer to trumping Nightmare.
"Sir Arthur, what's our next mission?" Falspar asked, wanting to be praised for thinking ahead.
"You just got back!" Sir Arthur laughed. "For now, you should rest until I find a suitable mission for your Sector. I must go check in with the other sectors. Continue to work hard and do your very best!"
Before the green puff left, he turned to Jecra. "Oh Jecra, your mask is being repaired in Beta's workshop. It should be done soon."
"Well, I'm gonna go see how Beta's doing! I'm sure he'll be glad to see me alive!" Falspar grinned.
The red haired puff raced down the hall with the rest of the sector following behind, mainly so Falspar wouldn't cause something to explode in a room full of fragile equipment. They arrived at the door to the workshop, only to see that he had stopped dead in his tracks. The green soldier looked at unease, his posture tense.
"Falspar, what is it?" Dragato asked, somewhat annoyed by his companion's odd behavior.
"Shh!" Falspar shushed, something that he probably had done only once in his life. "Over there…"
Dragato looked at where the green puff was motioning, finally seeing what Falspar was so nervous about. And it was quite justified.
"The Iron Fortress…" Jecra gave a small gasp.
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"Oh, when I get that idiot with the mohawk for getting me in trouble…" Gisela growled, causing Falspar to accidentally squeak.
Gisela turned around in a split second, noticing the sector behind her.
"You!" She pointed to Falspar, who screamed and hid behind Meta Knight.
"Take it easy, Gisela." Candeloro said, twirling her hair. "Don't get so worked up over a noob. You're stronger than that. Besides, Sir Arthur said that he was keeping an eye on your behavior."
The black puff gritted her teeth in anger. "Stupid noobs..."
Candeloro turned towards Sector H. She sat on one of the stools, twirling her hair like before with a small smirk on her lips.
"Ignore her. So, what brings you here~?" Candeloro asked, winking in Dragato's direction.
"We arrived to speak with B-Beta." Dragato said with a slight stutter, earning a chuckle from Falspar.
"Oh, he's busy in the shop. That's why we're here. One of the spikes on Gisela's shoulder guards chipped off and there's a hole in the other guard. So we're just waiting around~." The orange puff answered smoothly.
"Hah, I got that armor damage from fighting a Demon Beast." Gisela laughed. "It put up a good fight too, but it's obvious who won. Got a nice meal out of it too."
Falspar gagged. "Wait a minute…are you saying…you ate Demon Beast?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Of course she meant that she was rewarded with a free meal." Dragato rolled his eyes at the green puff's absurdity.
"No, the one with the stupid hair is right." Candeloro corrected.
Falspar was too shocked to even respond to the insult. Everyone stared at Gisela, who didn't seem to be at all bothered by their disgusted or baffled expressions.
"It was good too. There was plenty of meat, and I cooked it just right until it turned a golden brown. Added a little hot sauce, perfection. I even brought enough to have leftovers for the rest of the week." She grinned in delight at seeing their disturbed reactions.
"Gisela…that…is disgusting." Jecra gagged.
"It's actually not that uncommon." Yamikage interjected. "The ninjas of my clan lived off Demon Beast meat for a time. It really is not much different than eating regular meat."
"It's still gross! Bleck!" Falspar stuck his tongue out.
"Uh, Candeloro…do you eat Demon Beast too?" Garlude asked.
"Of course not." The twin drilled puff rolled her eyes. "Gisela is the only one. Shenandoah is a vegetarian, and Letty…well, she's Letty."
As if on cue, Shenandoah and Letty entered the room.
"Have you dropped off your shoulder guards?" Shenandoah asked.
"No, Beta's fixing the noob's mask." Gisela said, jerking a thumb towards Jecra.
"I'll have you know that this 'noob', was in a group that defeated a Demon Beast." The blonde said proudly.
"Wait…you mean... that your squadron of losers actually killed a Demon Beast…on your first mission?" Gisela squinted in disbelief.
"Hey, I'll have you know that we almost defeated a Demon Beast too!" Falspar winked, flexing in front of Candeloro. "I'm single by the way~"
Dragato angrily yanked the green puff by his red hair and away from the orange puff.
"You mean you didn't hear? Meta Knight, Jecra, and Garlude's group did it in one night." Candeloro smirked at the red eyed puff. "Even so, the others of Sector H did pretty well, handling a Demon Beast attack on the first day without getting sent to the hospital in critical condition."
The red haired woman eyed the members of Sector H, her eyes finally resting on Dragato. "Looks like we have competition, Gisela."
"Pff, you just got lucky." The black puff chuckled. "We're gonna be the best sector and you know it. We've fought Demon Beasts of every kind with no trouble. You kids are just starting out. We've been in this business longer than you."
"Gisela, the GSA is not a tournament." Shenandoah interrupted. "We are an army, not teams competing against each other for a prize. This army was formed to repel Nightmare's forces, and to save innocents. We may be divided into sectors, but we are as one force."
"Always the peacemaker, Shany…" Gisela smirked. "Lucky for you morons, I'm not really in the mood to hunt down the green guy with the dumb hairstyle. My stomach's full and I just don't feel up to wasting my energy on an idiot with a mohawk."
"Hey! I may be an idiot, but I'm not stupid! And my hair. Is. Fabulous!" Falspar ran a hand through his hair, then threw his head back. The few that were paying any attention to him sweat dropped in traditional anime style.
"Oh, you don't feel like it, huh?" Candeloro scoffed. "Of course it has nothing to do with Sir Arthur warning you-"
"Stuff your pie hole, Candy!" The red eyed puff barked. "Ugh…what's taking that mechanic so long?!"
"T-There's no rush, Gisela." Letty said, smiling a little. "It's nice to get a break once in a while, right?"
"I guess…but sitting around here isn't going to do anything about the rampant Demon Beast population, is it?"
"Sir Arthur already stated that he was sending out other sectors to take care of it, especially the ones on Floria." Shenandoah explained.
"But why couldn't we have gone? We're just as good!" The black puff frowned.
"I agree." Dragato said. "We could have been sent as well."
"Yeah, I'm with you on this." Jecra said with enthusiasm. "We can help fight the beasts! We already defeated one!"
"Sir Arthur will call for us when ready. For now, we follow his orders and remain here." Meta Knight spoke out.
"Besides, no offense to you rookies, but you really aren't ready for some of those Demon Beasts out there." The orange puff advised. "First of all, like Shenandoah said, this isn't a game. Lives are on the line. Those things will not think twice about murdering you in cold blood."
"You don't think we know that?" Garlude nodded. "We were well aware of the risk when we signed up. We're not backing out now. The Gamble Galaxy and all it's people are depending on us."
The rest of Sector H nodded in agreement. This was their vow and they were going to stand by it.
"Hah…you guys are pretty okay for rookies." Candeloro laughed. "I hope that we can work together sometime on a future mission. You aren't a squadron of losers like we thought after all. You might actually be up to par with the rest of us."
"Now now Candy. They may talk, but we all know actions speak louder than words." Gisela leaned on the counter, unimpressed. "I'll see if my opinion of you noobs changes after I see you guys in the chaos of the battlefield. That's where the true challenge awaits."
"Gisela, hopefully they won't have to go on the battlefield soon…" Letty sighed, suddenly glancing at Meta Knight. "Didn't you hear what happened on Hotbeat?"
"Yes." Meta Knight nodded. "Sixty lives were lost, fifty major injuries, and ten missing in action. Sir Arthur was mourning for them earlier."
The twin drilled puff put her arm on the counter. "There have been a big number of soldiers missing in action lately. Especially puffballs. I wonder…are they really missing, or did they run away during the battle?"
"Anyone who abandons their army on the battlefield doesn't deserve any sympathy!" Gisela slammed her fist on the table. "If I'm gonna go down, then I'm going down fighting! Gonna fight until my body drops dead."
"On the other hand, they could have been taken as hostages by Nightmare…" Shenandoah interjected.
Everyone shuddered. To be a captive of Nightmare was known as a fate worse than death. Anyone that had been caught by HNE rarely ever escaped. The small handful that managed to escape certainly were never the same after such an experience. Before they could dwell to long on the grim subject, Beta had returned from the back door of his workshop.
"Jecra, your mask is fixed!" A voice said from behind the counter. "It took a while, but I finally managed to-AHH! Uh…hello Gisela."
"I need my shoulder guards fixed." The large puff said, throwing them on the counter. "And don't forget to shine em' too. You forgot last time."
"Y-Y-Yes, ma'am! I mean sir! I mean poobah!" Beta stuttered.
"Just fix it!" Gisela snapped.
"Well, good luck rookies~." Candeloro winked then waved, directing it more towards a certain purple knight.
"We will see you soon, perhaps. I would feel honored to fight alongside you." Shenandoah nodded.
"I hope that we can work on a mission together…" Letty blushed, trying not to glance at Meta Knight for too long when saying those words.
"Outta the way, noobs!" Gisela laughed, nearly knocking Falspar and Nonsurat aside on her way. "Sector S has gots important stuff to do!"
"They're certainly an odd bunch, aren't they?" Garlude said after a beat.
"Hey Draggy~" Falspar nudged against the purple puff, then rested a hand on his shoulder. "I think one of em' has a thing for you~!"
Dragato's face flushed. "You have exactly three seconds to remove your hand before I chop it off with Nonsurat's axe."
The three knights scaled Candy Mountain with apparent ease. Had the day been windy, or some other sort of weather, they would have had more difficulty getting to the peak. Meta Knight and his knaves had finally reached their destination.
At the top of the peak stood a lone giant nest, housing the titan bird known as Dyna Blade. Her chicks had become far more independent, so the mother bird didn't have to keep such a keen eye on them.
The giant bird was perched on the cliff, as if she expected their arrival. Perhaps she did, as she was quite the mysterious creature. Dyna Blade stretched her metallic colorful wings, the blades glistening in the sun's rays.
"Dyna Blade…" Meta Knight spoke. "I have come here to duel you. Should you accept, know that this duel does not have fatal circumstances. Should you knock Galaxia out of my hand, you are the victor. Should your energy run dry, then I an the victor. Do you accept?"
The bird's large eyes stared into the knight's yellow ones. She unfurled her wings once again and let out a screech. She had accepted the invitation to battle.
"Sword, Blade, prepare yourselves." The masked knight warned.
The titan bird spread her wings, then lunged towards the knights. The knights dodged each attack, blocked each blow, and showed no signs of relenting. The sun was beginning to set by the time the battle had finally ended. Dyna Blade had run out of resolve to fight her opponents.
The colossal bird lied down in her nest to sleep, her chicks nuzzling against their tired mother. And with that, Meta Knight had won.
Yet he still felt like nothing was accomplished.
The sun fell below the horizon, dyeing the valleys around Candy Mountain in hues of orange, yellow, and red. Meta Knight and his knaves decided to settle for the night, making a campfire and setting up a shelter.
They found a few logs lying around to use as makeshift seats, setting them around the fire but not too close.
"Hey Blade." Sword said. "Do you remember that time years back when we were out in the wild? We were looking for firewood, and I found a huge log. I threw it in the fire, and then-"
"And there was a giant wasp nest in it." Blade winced. "Sometimes I still think I can feel the stings…"
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The fire crackled a bit, small embers floated into the night air. The stars above twinkled brightly, the moon a crescent in the dark blue sky. It was moments like these that reminded the masked knight of the times his sector would set camp during missions.
Falspar and Dragato would argue over something, and Garlude would calm them down. Nonsurat would be as timid as ever during their talk around the camp, Yamikage would be watchful and on guard like always. And Jecra would be telling some sort of story or try to lighten the mood.
Jecra…
Meta Knight forced himself to take his mind out of his thoughts. He didn't need to think about those times, especially in front of his knaves.
"They are already convinced that my sanity is swiftly evaporating…" Meta Knight thought with a frown. "and I absolutely do not need to give them any more evidence that it may be true."
"Um, Sir Meta Knight?" Sword said quietly, snapping the knight out of his internal conflict.
"Yes, Sword?"
"About that question I was going to ask earlier…" He twiddled with his thumbs. "I'm going to take a shot at it…but please don't get upset."
"Is this about my behavior lately?" Meta Knight asked in a flat tone.
"No, it isn't about that." The green knight quickly answered.
"Then what is it, Sword?" Blade was puzzled, wanting to know the question.
"Well…it's sort of about you. More specifically your species. You look like Kirby…You're the same species as Kirby, right?" He questioned.
"Yes. Kirby and I are of the same species." The blue knight answered, somewhat uncomfortable with being reminded of them seeing his unmasked face.
"I was thinking…Sir Arthur and the other GSA members at the castle. They are as well?" Sword outwardly pondered.
"Yes, that is also correct."
"Sword, where are you going with this?" His brother asked quietly and with a bit of suspicion.
"Okay, I might as well get on with it…" Sword took a deep intake of air. "Sir Meta Knight…have you ever had a girlfriend?"
(Author's Note: Sword asks the age old question on every Dreamlander's mind.)
The knight seemed completely taken aback at the question. If he had visible eyebrows, they would certainly be raised behind the mask. Blade was just as confused by his brother's question, if not embarrassed. Though he had thought about that at times…but he would never ask that aloud!
The blue knight's eyes then turned a very unfamiliar color to the knaves. His eyes were a very pale pink. Not the pink whenever he was amused, it was a much lighter shade. They had seen his eyes glow a variety of colors before, but this was definitely new. Sword suddenly felt a bit fearful for his life.
What they didn't know was that Meta Knight's eyes were pale pink because he was flustered.
"Sword…" The blue knight said with a low tone. "Has Falspar said something to you?"
"Let me rephrase that!" Sword said quickly. "Well, Kirby's a boy…and well, you're a man…all of the GSA at the castle are men…in fact, all of the puffs we've seen are male…"
"Sir…" Blade said slowly. "Is the puffball species male secluded?"
"No, there were females." Meta Knight replied.
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"…'Were'?" They said in unison.
"Yes, 'were'. My species is nearly extinct…and the ones you have seen are the only ones confirmed alive…" The blue knight replied, his insides twisted slightly.
"But…that's such a small number…" Sword said, shocked. "That means there are only six left…"
"Yes, Kirby is most likely the last child of our kind…" The blue puff gave a soft sigh. "And also the last that shall ever be born."
"…Sir Meta Knight, what happened to them?" Blade asked with wide eyes.
"Do I truly have to tell you? It should be obvious."
"Nightmare…" The two knaves inwardly shuddered.
"There were once thousands of us. Many employed in the Galaxy Soldier Army. Uncountable numbers across the galaxies…Then, he saw it as priority to eliminate us first and foremost. And…he mostly succeeded. He achieved his wish. Our race can no longer exist outside the six of us."
The blue knight's eyes turned grey for a split second, his hand over his heart. "I am honest when I say this…I am blessed to be alive."
"But...Sir Arthur and the others...you never mentioned them before." Sword said.
"I only recently learned they survived. It was shortly before Kirby faced against Nightmare. ...Before Kirby arrived, I had assumed I was the last of my kind. The moment I met eyes with him...there was a small hope. A small hope there were survivors. That Nightmare's reign would end after so long."
That was when Meta Knight's knaves had a realization. They were the masked knight's loyal followers far before Kirby had ever appeared on Pop Star. Their lord was alone when the brothers first encountered him.
It was a grim realization. Meta Knight had been forced to watch everything he had ever known, his race, culture, his very comrades crumble and disappear in the war. Nightmare had taken the blue puff's entire life from him. He had continued to fight against the cruel entity, even after the GSA's fall. How long had their lord been in solitude before they chose to become his knaves?
"Is there something wrong?" The blue puff asked, snapping them out of their thoughts. "You've fallen silent."
"No...but..." Blade fidgeted. "Sir Meta Knight, isn't it possible that others might have survived?"
"Sir Arthur searched across the galaxy in the slight chance that a number could have escaped with their lives and went into hiding. He only found Dragato, Nonsurat, and Falspar. I suppose that is why they decided to stay together. They don't want to lose each other after being apart in uncertainty for so long. I too am grateful for their lives, all of them were my companions in the past. We are the only ones that will remember the past..."
The knight's eyes briefly turned grey, but it didn't escape Sword and Blade's notice.
"I am turning in for the night. We will return to the castle tomorrow for briefing with Sir Arthur." Meta Knight replied somewhat hastily.
After they were sure their superior was asleep, the two began to whisper amongst each other.
"Blade...I think I know what's going on now with Sir Meta Knight. I think he might have Post-traumatic stress disorder."
"I suppose you're right...that explains the nightmares, his avoidance of the topic, and his sudden episodes of spacing out." Blade agreed. "But he's never done this before. In all the years we've known him, this is the only time something like this has ever happened! Something must have triggered it."
The knaves lied down, trying to sleep despite the worry and anxiety they felt. Meta Knight wouldn't be getting any rest either, his dreams were once again plagued with nightmares. The knight wanted the visions to leave, he had tried every method of ridding them from his conscience. Yet no matter how horrific, graphic, or morbid they were...
Deep within his heart, Meta Knight believed he deserved them.
Author's Note: Alright everyone, this is the last introductory chapter. After this, the real story begins in this arc. Sorry if it was boring the past few chapters, but now we get to the actual plot and missions, along with a mystery! And Chris the Janitor returns next chapter, and he's still Falspar's captive.
A few things I should mention. In this story, the puffball species is pretty much almost non-existant. That may differ with other people's canon, but in this they're an almost extinct species. Gisela's main diet is meat and she's very similar to a valkyrie, she hunts her own food and prepares it.
So, next chapter is where things start to pick up. Character development! Mystery! Hilarity! Horror! That's what I'm aiming for. Thanks for being patient with me for this long during these introductory chapters. I promise great things will come in this arc! Especially the ending, oh the ending of the arc! It'll blow your minds, re-inflate them, then blow em' up again!
Leer Justice, out.