Chapter 16

Meta Knight and Shieldmaiden walked off through the underbrush, heading in the direction of the next relic. Meta Knight was more silent than usual; he couldn't get Sword and Blade out of his mind. He knew that there was a very real possibility of losing one or both. He blinked his eyes rapidly to keep the grey out of them, not wishing to have his despair obvious in front of Shieldmaiden. The female Star Warrior followed behind him with her relic finder out; her spear was useless for helping him cut through the foliage, but if her machine was right then they were almost right on top of the relic anyway.

Fumu and Bun watched the two armored Star Warriors leave. As the two vanished into the forest, they turned their attention to Blade. Fumu steeled her nerves.

"Kirby, we need to get some fresh water. Remember that stream we crossed a few minutes ago?"

"Poyoyo" Kirby responded.

"We need to go get some water and clean Blade's wound."

Kirby nodded.

"Bun, stay here and keep an eye on them" Fumu instructed. "We'll be back soon."

"Sis... you're leaving me all alone?" Bun asked. Fumu watched her younger brother fiddle with the single button on his clothes as he talked, clearly nervous.

"I'm really sorry Bun, but we have no choice" Fumu responded with a frown. "We need two pairs of hands to carry as much water as we can, but we can't leave these guys alone. We'll be back soon, promise."

Bun scrunched up his face, nodding slowly. He was nearly at his limit, feeling the intense pressure of the two wounded warriors and being scared of sitting alone in the jungle, but he kept his composure for the sake of them all.

Kirby looked at the thick underbrush that laid in front of them and ate Blade's weapon without being given any order to do so, inhaling it to become Sword Kirby. Fumu marveled at his independent forethought; she was going to suggest he do that, seeing as Blade couldn't use his weapon at the moment anyway, but Kirby came to the same conclusion she did without any coaching. He seemed to grow more every day, maturing right before her very eyes. Fumu managed a small smile upon seeing him transform. She gripped the hollowed out coconut the group had drank and eaten out of the previous night, which Bun had carried the entire way for them; being the closest thing the party had to a container, it had become a valuable tool long after the coconut's innards were gone. He and Fumu then moved out, Kirby's sharp hearing beelining them towards the water source as he hacked away at the foliage with a speed that the finest knights of the Galaxy Soldier Army would envy.

In a few minutes, the two reached the river. Two small waterfalls trickled into the narrow channel of clear, running water that cut through the jungle. Fumu knelt down and allowed the cool water to run through her hands for a second. She then cupped some in her hands and swallowed a tiny bit. Normally she'd be reluctant to use her healthy body as a guinea pig for wild river water, but they were extremely pressed for time and didn't have the ability to wait for a guaranteed fresh source such as rainwater.

"Definitely fresh...good. Stagnant water would make Blade worse" she said to Kirby, who had already ducked his head into the water and was sucking some up.

The two walked to the river, Fumu carrying the hollowed out coconut. Kirby used his borrowed sword to slice off a branch, obtaining a broad leaf similar to the ones they had used earlier. He then dipped it into the running river, using it as a fragile container to hold as much water as it could. Holding their water steady, Fumu and Kirby then hurried back to where Blade lay.

Blade looked up at Bun, vision blurry and head spinning. A sharp, deep pain radiated from his side. He had no idea the extent of the damage inflicted upon him, but he was thankful to even still be alive. He turned his head slightly, glancing at Sword out of the corner of his eye. Throughout it all, Blade was still just thankful that Sword had not suddenly decided to attack him and that it was Dark Matter's actions instead.

"Sword didn't do this to me" Blade thought to himself, "Dark Matter did. And even if we...or I...don't make it, he'll still be my best friend. No matter what."

Fumu and Kirby came back after a few minutes, Fumu carefully carrying the filled coconut shell while Sword Kirby held his leaf. Upon returning, Sword Kirby quietly reverted back to his original self and rested Blade's weapon by the fallen warrior's side.

Bun was so excited to see his sister that he nearly knocked her and her water over with a hug, the few minutes the two were gone feeling like an eternity in his young mind.

Fumu then knelt down in front of Blade, the coconut full of water beside her. She steeled herself as she reached for Meta Knight's cape, slowly unwrapping Blade's makeshift bandage. Upon unwrapping it, she was greeted by a bloody mess. She felt her breakfast rise to her throat and swallowed, feeling herself sweat heavily. She cleaned a section of Meta Knight's cape with the fresh water before gingerly dipping it onto Blade's wound, Kirby pouring his small offering over it as well with a worried frown. Blade visibly flinched in pain, causing all three to wince. Bun stood back, unable to bear looking at the wound up close but not willing to leave Blade's side either.

"Thanks, guys" Blade said as his head weakly rolled over to glance at the three, his voice faint from pain."You're doing a great job."

At the same time, Shieldmaiden and Meta Knight continued to make their way through the jungle. Meta Knight's relentless slashing at the foliage slowed to a stop as the wild greenery gave way more and more, providing less of a barrier. The ground beneath their feet began to slope downward. A cloud of annoying bugs suddenly swarmed around them, attracted to the carbon dioxide emitted from them as they exhaled. Shieldmaiden cursed and shut her helmet as the two passed through a particularly thick cloud of the insects, feeling her way forward through the swarm with the tip of her spear on the ground like a blind man's cane. Meta Knight, having no such defense, growled deeply under his mask and narrowed his eyes as they pressed on. He silently took note of the subtle changes in the environment around them. All signs, even the awful cloud of bugs, pointed to water being nearby.

A few minutes later, the last thick bush was pushed aside by Meta Knight. The two armored warriors peered out at the small clearing, surrounded by weeds and thick foliage. Within the clearing was what appeared to be a small, scummy lake, its watery surface framed by tangled plants. Algae floated around the rim of the water's surface, but the water itself looked clear and an inky black.

Meta Knight turned to face Shieldmaiden, clearly confused. "This is where your machine wants us?"

Shieldmaiden quickly glanced back at the machine, touching the screen. "Yes. Right here. Right...below us." She muttered half-aloud, pressing the screen repeatedly. She then looked back to Meta Knight, glancing downwards at the water afterwards. Her eyes flickered.

"Hope you like to swim, Sir."

Meta Knight felt a chill despite the oppressive, humid heat surrounding them. He went to wrap himself up in his cape as a force of habit before remembering that he was no longer wearing it, the cloth left behind with Blade for him to use as a makeshift bandage. Meta Knight bit his hidden lip.

"We have no diving equipment. Does your machine tell you how deep it is?"

Shieldmaiden glanced at her machine. "At least 100 feet."

Meta Knight's gaze slowly turned again to the black, inky depths of the deceptively small-looking lake. His species was very good at holding their breath for their size, able to manage 15 minutes without any diving training, but doing so in an unfamiliar area was still deeply dangerous. They were not trained swimmers, they had no way to conserve air besides a single deep breath, and even with the machine's aid they still didn't have an exact idea of where they were going.

"I see a tiny pocket of space surrounding the relic" Shieldmaiden said, zooming on it using the same settings she used to narrow down the location of the first relic in the cave. "That's probably air...it must be in an underwater cave or something."

'Probably' Meta Knight thought grimly, but said nothing.

"We have no choice" He chose to say instead, stepping closer to the water's edge. "We have to try."

Shieldmaiden nodded, glancing again at her machine. Although designed to handle some water damage, it wasn't completely waterproof; this would be the last time it was used. Considering it was almost completely out of batteries and there was no way to recharge it besides the destroyed console of her ship, it seemed fitting to get one last use out of it before it became a useless hunk of metal for good.

Shieldmaiden placed the machine and her shield on the ground beside her, stretching her limbs and flapping her wings several times to limber up. Meta Knight engaged in similar exercises with his own limbs in preparation, heart beginning to pound as he dwelled on what they were about to attempt. He gulped impulsively, mouth dry, as a blast of adrenaline shot through his body. The veteran then forced his anxious thoughts aside, thinking about Sword and Blade laying helplessly in the jungle. He clenched his jaw. They needed him.

Shieldmaiden grimaced, eyes dimming. Though her expressionless helmet did not show it, she was just as nervous about their dive as he was. She was never the best swimmer, preferring to fly in the air, and she hadn't even measured her own breath-holding abilities since she was a child. Her gloved hands began to shake, causing the spear held in her hand to rattle. She then clenched her fists in response, determined not to show any sign of fear in front of the older Star Warrior.

"Well..." Shieldmaiden said, looking to Meta Knight as she spoke in a falsely cheery tone. "Here goes."

She stood at the edge of the water and swung her arms, folding her wings as tightly against her body as possible like the way she had observed diving waterfowl do. In one hand, she held her spear. In the other she held her machine, planning to use it to help guide their path until it became too waterlogged to help them anymore. She took a number of deep breaths, exhaling and took one final breath so large it inflated her round body slightly like Kirby's. She then hopped into the water, fighting against her own light buoyancy by swimming forcefully downwards.

Meta Knight took a large, deep breath of his own and jumped into the water after Shieldmaiden, holding the first piece of the relic in one hand to function as their one and only light source. The two Star Warriors were so light that there was hardly a splash as the two hit the water.

The cold water rushed over the two, causing them to both shiver reflexively. Meta Knight swam in a gentle but persistent pace, trying to balance getting to their destination as quickly as possible and not using his energy reserves too quickly. Shieldmaiden kicked forward with her feet, her weapon held forward like a spearfisher. The two ventured deeper and deeper in the water, the depths around them growing increasingly dark as they swam away from the sunlight. Both Star Warrior's bodies instinctively reacted to their situation. Their earholes and noseholes closed like a seal's, their hearts beating slower to conserve oxygen. The two's vision without goggles was uncomfortable and blurry, but they were both able to see in freshwater.

Shieldmaiden swam in the lead, using the machine to guide their path. They floated further into the abyss with each stroke of their arms and legs, feeling the water grow colder and heavier as they descended. Soon, Shieldmaiden felt her lungs begin to tingle. The tingle slowly gave way to a dull, persistent burning sensation. Her eyes bugged as she looked at the machine; it was beginning to blink in and out, water damage causing the screen to short out. As it dimmed to nothing, it gave one last reading to pinpoint their destination; a few meters lower, it sensed the entrance to a cave. It then went black. Shieldmaiden shook the machine angrily before throwing it away, letting it slowly sink into the depths behind her. Meta Knight watched her do so out of the corner of his eye and frowned; he knew why she did that, and hoped that she knew where she was going.

The two both struggled as they swam still lower, the minutes growing closer to the limit that their air capacity could handle. In time, Shieldmaiden gently floated over to a brown rock that rose from the depths. She felt around the rock's surface for an opening and slipped inside, disappearing into the underwater crevasse with a kick of her feet. Meta Knight followed her, chest on fire and his head beginning to feel a bit dizzy.

The two swam, skin bumping and occasionally scraping the surface of the cave as they bobbed against its ceiling in an urgent search for an air pocket. Finally, they noticed a gap. Lungs bursting, both Star Warriors redoubled their pace and frantically swam towards the upward tunnel.

Meta Knight could see it, the water's surface, a small hole underwater. His body cried for air, his lungs aching and his mind beginning to feel muddled and unfocused from a lack of oxygen. They both burst through the water's surface, mouth open and gasping desperately for air. Meta Knight looked over at Shieldmaiden as the two broke the surface.

"We made it..." Shieldmaiden uttered breathlessly, the two bobbing in the water.

With no small amount of effort, Meta Knight heaved himself out of the water. He then turned and leaned forward, offering a hand to help Shieldmaiden up. The female Star Warrior grabbed it and hoisted herself out with more difficulty, her soaked wings giving her a lot more weight back on land. Her broad smile was hidden beneath her helm, tired but relieved.

"We made it!" She gasped a second time, chest still heaving for air.

"Indeed" Meta Knight responded breathlessly. He was strangely elated despite their increasingly dire situation, feeling an immense sense of relief that both Star Warriors were able to hold out long enough to make it.

Meta Knight and Shieldmaiden then both ventured into the underwater cavern, noticing that the small room that housed the watery entrance they arrived in turned into a single hallway. The two Star Warriors cautiously ventured down the hallway, Meta Knight holding the first piece of the relic and using it as a flashlight. They soon noticed a bright light coming from around the bend that looked identical to the one emanating from the relic in Meta Knight's hand. They ran forward and turned the corner to a shocking sight; there lay the second piece of the relic, suspended on a small flattened rock like the first one was. However, this relic was surrounded by skeletons. Various bones of all ages and sizes surrounded the relic in a jumbled heap, their hollow skulls staring at the two. Amongst the bones, glints of gold and jewelry were caught by the relic's light.

"What the..." Meta Knight murmured while Shieldmaiden held a hand to her mouth, wings folding tightly against her in fright.

Meta Knight knelt down, examining a broken skull with one hand while his other held the first half of the relic tightly. "Cappies" he said after a moment, noting the large space for their eyes and fairly small braincase.

Shieldmaiden relaxed slowly, still visibly disturbed. "Why? How did they all even get here?"

Meta Knight shrugged, tossing the skull back into the pile as he gingerly stepped around the carpet of bones. "Who knows? Perhaps they were part of a sacrifice."

He grabbed the second piece of the relic from the stone. Holding the two pieces together, one in each hand, he began to felt a strange pull. The two glowing relic pieces, each crease fitting each other in a perfect groove, were exerting some sort of strange magnet-like force to try and fuse themselves together. Meta Knight took a deep, quaking breath and narrowed his eyes from the light before allowing them to pull together, the two pieces snapping together quickly.

A light flashed so brightly that Meta Knight nearly dropped it, both Star Warriors turning their heads and shutting their eyes from the immense white light that engulfed the entire room. Within a few seconds, the light faded; a faint, steady hum could be heard. Meta Knight tentatively opened one eye again to find the relic fully restored, the two separate disc halves forming one perfect circle. He found feel a tingling, burning energy erupting from the disc, the level of power making him feel intimidated.

Shieldmaiden's eyes glowed green from thought, hidden mouth dropped in awe. "The relic...it's beautiful..."

Meta Knight gave her a single nod, holding it tightly against him.

"We got what we came for...now let's get back to the surface" Meta Knight said as he turned to exit. "There's no time to lose."

Shieldmaiden nodded, and the two carefully stepped over the skeletons as they exiting the room. As they left, Shieldmaiden gave the piles of bones one last, thoughtful look. Like most surviving Star Warriors she had seen her fair share of death. However, something about seeing the haphazard collection of bones around the relic in a place as unlikely as an underwater cavern bothered her more than the sight of a stray corpse on the battlefield did. She didn't know what caused their deaths, but at least they could now resume their eternal rest undisturbed.

She couldn't help but wonder if the relic had anything to do with it.