Chapter 18
Shieldmaiden broke into a full run as she headed down the jungle path, pausing only to scoop up her shield which had been lying in the grass by the water's edge. She felt deeply rattled; they'd almost lost the relic. They almost lost Meta Knight. She lost her spear. As such anxious thoughts flew through her head, she shut her cyan eyes and forced herself to relax. Meta Knight was alive and as well as could be expected, and the relic was fully formed and in their hands. It could have ended much worse.
Shieldmaiden burst through the path to where the others were located in a rattle of branches and leaves, the sound so startling that Kirby held up his arms in an instinctual fight reflex before seeing who it was. Everyone looked up sharply, including Blade.
"Shieldmaiden! Thank goodness...oh wow, is that the relic?" Fumu asked, her hand slipping off the wounded Blade's chest as she knelt beside the injured warrior.
"Wow...it's putting out a crazy amount of light" Bun mused. "Like a little sun!"
Shieldmaiden held it out for the group to see, her shield in one hand and the relic in the other. The light was indeed so bright that she couldn't look at it directly.
"It is." Shieldmaiden murmured. "Finally, it's made whole. We now have the power to defeat Dark Matter."
"Good..." Blade managed to say, body remaining motionless but head tilted over to see the relic. His hidden eyes widened in awe as he gazed at it, the physical culmination of all of the hard work the group had done.
Shieldmaiden turned her head to Blade, hidden brow furrowed in concern. "How are you? And how's Sword?'"
Blade gave a nod. "I'm fine, thanks to Fumu, Bun and Kirby."
He was still wounded and in need of a doctor, but the three had been constantly tending to his wound and keeping it as clean and well-bandaged as possible. They ran back and forth with fresh water from the coconut, offering him a drink from it as well. It was the best care he could possibly receive without real medical equipment. Blade then looked to Sword, who still lied motionless. Fumu followed his gaze.
"Sword's okay" Fumu said to Shieldmaiden, voicing the concern of both herself and Blade. "He's breathing fine and doesn't seem to have any lasting damage besides some cuts and bruises. But he doesn't seem to want to wake up for some reason. It's almost as if he's in a deep sleep..."
Shieldmaiden's eyes dimmed. "After possession by Dark Matter it could take anywhere from minutes to hours to wake up. It also depends on the severity of the beating they needed to scare Dark Matter out of them."
"Poyoyii?" Kirby asked, looking around and tilting his head in a questioning gesture.
Fumu looked to Kirby. She then glanced back at the female Star Warrior, brow raised in concern. "I think he's asking about Meta Knight. Where is he, anyway? Is he okay?" Her voice cracked slightly, the mere thought of losing him after nearly losing Sword and Blade all in the same day being too overwhelming for her to even consider.
"Meta Knight?" Shieldmaiden paused. She knew how proud the veteran was, how worried Fumu and Bun already were with two wounded warriors in their care already...they didn't need to know what happened.
"Ah...he's just fine!" She replied, able to put on a falsely cheery voice but thankful that her helmet hid her true expression. "Drying up after our swim is all."
"Swim?" Bun asked. He did notice that Shieldmaiden's wings looked weirdly soggy, but they were all running around in a hot and humid jungle environment for hours and sweating profusely. He figured he looked soggy, too.
"Yes" Shieldmaiden replied with a nod. "It was underwater."
Shieldmaiden walked over to Kirby, who still had a small frown on his face in concern from Meta Knight not being present. She gently pushed the relic into the small creature's hands before her cyan eyes met his, the eyes of both Star Warriors taking on an eerie orange highlight as the relic's illumination reflected off them.
"Kirby. This is what we need to stop Dark Matter. You were able to stop it; it couldn't possess you. We need your help."
Kirby blinked as he processed the older Star Warrior's words, gaze hardening. He took the relic firmly, frown deepening. He then looked up, gaze slowly working his way around the group from person to person. Gone was the cheery, placid expression he usually wore, and in its place was grim determination. Upon touching Kirby's rounded hands the relic seemed to glow brighter, the golden disc beginning to hum and vibrate slightly.
Fumu's eyes widened. "It's responding to him! The book said that in the hands of one who could use it, its full power could be unleashed."
Kirby looked to Sword, the relic still in his hands. He carried it over to the fallen warrior's body. He then gently touched the gleaming disc to Sword's helmed forehead. As he did, Kirby's eyes briefly glowed a fiery yellow even brighter than Meta Knight's. Everyone present watched, mesmerised, as Sword's head began to shake slowly.
Kirby stepped back as Sword let out a small groan, lifting a hand to his head and sitting up slowly.
"Ugh...what happened? Where's that bright light coming fro-BLADE!" Sword shouted, scrambling to his feet quickly upon seeing his wounded friend. He ran over to Blade, fists shaking.
"Blade, are you okay? What happened?! Who did this to you?" Sword's hand slipped to his weapon, unsheathing his sword and whipping it angrily in the air. "Tell me who hurt you. I'll kill them!"
Blade shook his head slightly in response. "You can't do that, but thank you. As for this, I'm fine...it looks worse than it is."
"Don't bullshit me" Sword said with his voice raised, glaring at his old friend. "Who did this?"
Shieldmaiden looked away, Bun looking down at his feet and kicking lightly at a fallen branch. Fumu bit her lip.
"Sword...you got possessed by Dark Matter." She said solemnly. "A little piece of it followed us all the way out here, somehow. And when you got possessed, you turned on us and..." She tore her gaze away from Sword, glancing at Blade's wound.
A visible shudder flew through Sword's body, causing his armor to rattle. He dropped his blade, fingers slipping until the weapon fell at his side.
"I...what?" Sword asked, his voice tiny.
Slowly he turned to look at Blade, who was still lying on the ground with Meta Knight's blood-stained cape wrapped around his side. For the briefest second Fumu could actually see Sword Knight's yellow eyes, flashing so brightly from emotion that they glowed through the darkness of his helmet before dimming out again. He fell to his knees by his friend, gently clasping both of his hands over one of Blade's and dipping his head downward. It took all of his strength not to weep openly in front of the group, but the revelation that his own weapon nearly killed his best friend had left him beyond words.
Blade squeezed his friend's hand. His own brimming tears were hidden behind his emotionless helmet, but Sword had heard his friend's voice enough to know when the tears were there.
"It's okay, buddy." Blade said reassuringly. "It wasn't you. It was Dark Matter using your body."
Sword said nothing, clutching his friend's hand tighter in response. His eyes were closed, tears running down his cheeks, but no one could see any change in expression due to his helmet.
Shieldmaiden gave Sword a nod. "We're just glad you're okay, Sword...and as soon as possible, we'll get Blade the best doctor in Dreamland." She then turned around to face away from the two.
"However, the second Meta Knight gets back here, we need to get out of here or there won't be any doctors to go to. I'm going to go check on him."
"Agreed" Fumu said, Bun nodding enthusiastically behind her. She then turned to look at Kirby, who had gone strangely silent. The relic was still clutched in his hands, still humming. His expression remained oddly blank.
Shieldmaiden emerged back from the path a few minutes later with Meta Knight, who walked quietly behind her armored in everything but his cape. Fumu noticed immediately that there was something off about him; he walked in a slow, stilted manner, and his eyes glowed a dim amber. He appeared to be breathing heavily, chest rising and falling deeply enough to slightly shift the lower portion of his mask up and down with each breath. She expected him to be tired considering the two Star Warriors had just swam to retrieve the relic, but he looked more winded than what a mere swim should have caused. He looked ill.
Meta Knight first made his way to Sword and Blade. Upon seeing Sword awake and Blade moving, his eyes began to glow more brightly.
"Sword. Blade. It is good to see that you're both doing better" Meta Knight said, the tone of his voice being the only giveaway that the Star Warrior felt visibly relieved at the sight of his two comrades alive.
Sword stood stiffly at the sight of his commander and gave a salute. Blade simply rolled his head over to look Meta Knight in the eye, managing to laugh weakly.
"Just fine, Sir." He replied.
Shieldmaiden looked up at the sky. "Sorry to interrupt, guys, but we have to get out of here" she interjected, her voice tense.
All three warriors looked up, Meta Knight giving a curt nod in response. She was right; the three knights would have time to talk later, and they needed to get back to Dreamland right away. He then cast his glance back downwards at Blade, troubled expression hidden.
"You will all have to fit back onto Warp Star, and I need my cape to fly."
Blade nodded and shifted, visibly wincing from pain, as Meta Knight took the bloody and damp cape from his friend's body and fastened it back to his own. Meta Knight felt terrible taking away Blade's only "bandage", but it would be physically impossible to fit 6 onto Warp Star and the only alternative was being left in the jungle. He was deeply afraid of Blade being moved and jostled, let alone being forced to ride through the air when he clearly wasn't strong enough to hold on very well himself and would need support. Still, they had no choice. The jungle was large and so dense, so impossible to pierce from above, that even the sun's rays barely filtered through the thick canopy. If anyone rode off on Warp Star then whoever remained in the jungle would almost certainly be lost there for good.
"Right." Fumu added. She cast her gaze on everyone in the group, eyes scanning each person before her gaze settled on Kirby. "Everyone ready?"
The group murmured and nodded in response. Kirby looked at Fumu with the relic in his hands, his expression still eerily blank.
Fumu looked up at the jungle's canopy, a wall of green trees surrounding the group in every direction. She cupped her hands to her face and cried "Warp Star!"
Within mere seconds, a distant roar of crashing trees could be heard. Warp Star suddenly descended from directly above them, slicing through the surrounding branches and foliage in the jungle canopy as if they were butter. Warp Star landed evenly at Kirby's feet, the star followed by a rain of small sticks and leaves from above that were knocked loose by its arrival. The others began to board, one by one. Sword and Fumu both held Blade up, one under each arm, as they brought the wounded knight over to the star. They then gently set him down facing upwards, as if he were on a bed. Between his leg injury and the fresh sword wound on his side, Blade was practically helpless.
Sword and Fumu looked at each other nervously. Blade was in no condition to hold onto Warp Star, and the vehicle didn't exactly come equipped with seat belts. Kirby looked at Blade, lying in the center of Warp Star. He then hopped aboard, the relic in one hand and the other clutching one of the star's tips. His eyes suddenly glowed a bright yellow, his entire body radiating golden light as the relic in his hand hummed loudly. Meta Knight stepped back with his own yellow eyes flashing in surprise, having seen Kirby react to its power for the first time.
As Kirby's body glowed, Warp Star itself suddenly began to radiate a strange aura. A golden, glittery mist began to rise steadily from Warp Star. To his surprise Blade found that he himself was glowing with the same glittering mist. He tried to move his hand, but it immediately snapped back to Warp Star's surface as if it were a magnet.
"What the...is this thing magnetic to armor now or something?" Blade asked, head turning back and forth as that was the only body part he could move.
"Poyo" Kirby said in a faint voice, eyes still glowing bright yellow.
Fumu's eyes grew wide. "I think...I think Kirby's doing that on purpose, Blade. To keep you stable on Warp Star as we fly out."
Her eyes widened as memories of what she had read regarding the divine item came flooding back to her.
"The book said this relic would manifest its power to its owner's will. The magic was divine in nature, but it could still be used for virtually anything and supposedly granted all sorts of crazy powers. That is why it was broken in half and hidden so well in the first place. Too much power for one person. Who knows what earlier wielders of this thing did...?" Fumu mused aloud.
"Who knows?" Blade replied as he rested his head back onto Warp Star's surface, staring skyward. He had no idea how it worked, or how Kirby was able to channel it, but he was deeply thankful. It it wasn't for Kirby's newfound ability, the ride back would have been an incredibly dangerous balancing act.
Meta Knight nodded, eyes glowing green. "If that's being caused by Kirby, then Blade is secure. Good. We should get going, then."
Everyone else boarded Warp Star besides Shieldmaiden and Meta Knight. Shieldmaiden fluffed and shook her wings rapidly, attempting to wick away the last bit of water from them in preparation for flight. Meta Knight closed his eyes, reaching into the depths of his mind as he seeked the power of his cape. Within seconds the cape changed into wings, their bases anchoring into Meta Knight's back and spreading in bat-like fingers as the cape's fabric transformed into skin. Blade's blood stains remained on the cape through the transformation, showing up in distorted splatters on the inside of the Star Warrior's right wingsail. It looked as if Meta Knight was the wounded one.
As Fumu climbed aboard Warp Star and settled into a similar position to the one she had arrived in, she suddenly found herself unable to easily move as well. Bun lifted his hand repeatedly for no reason other than to watch it snap back to Warp Star's surface, fascinated. Kirby remained motionless on Warp Star, eyes still glowing a steady bright yellow that matched the color of the relic. After everyone was safely aboard, each passenger feeling "glued down" just like Blade was, Warp Star began to shakily lift from the ground.
Kirby's brows furrowed, the unbalanced Warp Star evening out as it ascended. Meta Knight and Shieldmaiden took off to fly after them, dodging stray branches as they passed through the jungle's thick canopy. Soon they were above the jungle, the tightly-packed trees appearing like an endless green carpet. Fumu looked downwards, stomach feeling a bit floaty from their sudden ascent. She closed her eyes. One way or another, they were going home.