Twenty-four: Anticipation
Characters: Meta Knight, Kirby

He paced around the room, blood pounding loudly in his veins. The ship was falling, its engines destroyed. Everyone else had evacuated, everyone except for his most loyal knights. He worried for their safety.

He knew he had already failed. But there was one last test to be had.

He halted, listening. The radio buzzed, and a voice whispered, "I'm sorry Meta Knight… We failed…"

"It is alright. Please go, while there is still time," he told them. "And…do not worry about me." Before they could protest, he smashed the communications array, cutting off all contact. He took out a sword and planted it firmly in the center of the room. The other would be here soon.

With all his dreams literally crashing down around him, he had no plans to survive. He anticipated one last, glorious battle, and then nothing. He leaped up to the jutting platform and waited.


The last of the four knights defeated, Kirby took a moment to catch his breath. The ship was coming down, but there was one person left who hadn't evacuated yet. He knew them. They would refuse to do so until they had fought.

He didn't want to hurt Meta Knight. He loved him. He was his mentor, almost like a father to him. He didn't know what was wrong, but he had to do something to stop this madness. He was going to help him one way or another.

Kirby continued on and found the control deck. There was the once honorable knight, waiting for him. He had his bloodstained cape wrapped tightly around him, though it failed to hide the tremors that wracked his frame. A jagged crack extended from the top of his mask down to the eyehole.

Kirby felt tears well up in his eyes. It had only been a few weeks since he had last seen Meta Knight. What had and was happening to him? Was it too late to save him?

He saw the gleaming sword awaiting his use. Of course. Meta Knight would never fight him without making it fair.

But they had never fought full on like this. "M-Meda Nigh?" he managed to squeak out, looking up at someone he used to trust completely.

Meta Knight said nothing, his yellow eyes giving off the same golden glow they always had.

Kirby took a deep breath and picked up the sword.