This chapter has been revised as of March 19th, 2023. Please note that the following chapters may still have mistakes as I've yet to revise them.
The arrival of the knight
Meta Knight began to fall as soon as he jumped through the dimensional gap. The sudden shift in gravity between the portal's sucking power and the stability of the new world had thrown him off balance, but the knight was quick to recover. He spread his wings wide and ascended once more, standing still in the middle of a sea of clouds under a starry sky.
Meta Knight looked around, searching for Nightmare. He located the villain's spherical core form, flying at high speeds across the night sky with a seemingly fixed knight began to pursue him, but something distracted him: a bright, familiar spark falling not far from his position. He assumed that, like him, Kirby had been caught off guard by the abrupt change in gravity and had lost control of his Warp Star.
"Should I follow Kirby or Nightmare?" Meta Knight wondered. But before he could make a decision, his "warrior sense" activated again, putting him on guard. He then noticed that his surroundings were becoming charged with static electricity, as if a storm was brewing. That was odd, because there were no storm clouds around him.
And then, like if it had come from nothing, the dragon appeared.
It was a magnificent creature, with a long serpentine body, a pair of limbs that ended in sharp claws, and golden scales that glimmered with their own light. The mere presence of the dragon had illuminated the dark nightly sky.
The dragon then spoke in a deep voice. The words it said were in a language unknown to Meta Knight, but he could still feel that they were full of hostility.
"[You who are bathed in dark blue tones, tell me where the irregular pigment that has arrived in this world is,]" a slightly different voice echoed inside Meta Knight's head. The dragon had sent him a telepathic message after noticing that he couldn't understand its words.
For the way it spoke of them, colours seemed to be something symbolic to the dragon, but what could that "irregular pigment" thing mean? "It must be talking about Nightmare," Meta Knight reasoned. Perhaps the dragon was some sort of entity that protected that world and had risen because it had detected the villain's presence.
"[I can tell by your aura that you both belong to the same kin. Answer now!]" the dragon demanded impatiently.
So the dragon was actually asking about Kirby. That was problematic. Meta Knight guessed that the pink puffball should have landed not too far from where they were standing. The knight decided that he had to lure the dragon away from that location.
"You'll have to rip that information out of me," he simply replied, turning his back on the dragon and flying away.
"[Don't you dare run away!]" the being yelled as it chased him. Meta Knight smirked beneath his mask: it had taken the bait.
Once he lured the dragon far enough, Meta Knight turned on the dragon, brandishing his sword.
"[Oh? So you desire to fight against me to protect the irregular pigment,]" the dragon realised. "[In that case, I shall grant your reckless wish and crush your blues until they are one with white light.]"
The dragon roared, and with its roar came lightning. Meta Knight twirled in the air to avoid the electric discharge thrown at him, then charged at the creature with his trusty Galaxia
Meta Knight decided to attack the eyes of the beast's eyes first in order to blind it. As a knight of honour, he would normally be opposed to such lowly and dirty stratagems, but due to the size and power of the being, it needed to be done if he wanted to survive the fight.
However, the cuts he made to the dragon's eyes healed quickly, his boldness only making it angrier.
The dragon spun around at full speed and smacked Meta Knight with its tail, launching him several metres. Meta Knight's mask protected his face from the being's sharp scales, but they had superficially damaged one of his wings. Meta Knight recovered his equilibrium and approached the dragon once more to launch a new attack. Surprisingly, the cuts on his wing began to heal.
"I see. This being has some sort of healing power that affects everything around it, including its adversaries. We could be fighting for a long time," the knight noted.
But that didn't make any sense. A creature like that would not simply trap its opponents in an endless battle. Intrigued, Meta Knight began exchanging blows with the dragon. The creature not only fought with its claws and tail; it also summoned powerful lightning volts at will.
"And they say lightning never strikes twice in the same spot..." Meta Knigh groaned after being struck by an array of volts just after he had managed to make a deep cut on one of the dragon's limbs. He had managed to withstand the attack without falling because Galaxia was embedded in the being's skin, and he had firmly held onto it while he received the electric shock. Then he noticed something: the dragon's wounds were healing faster than his burns.
"So that is the trick: the closer you are, the faster you heal. And of course, its own body is what heals the fastest! I have to find a way of defeating it in a single blow."
Meta Knight ripped his sword from the dragon's limb and prepared to launch a new attack. The being glared at him.
"[I'm tired of playing your game, warrior from beyond our stars,]" the dragon told him. "[I shall now make you one with the light!]"
"Thgil eht erofeb hsinav!" the dragon announced, speaking once more in that unknown language.
All of the dragon's light condensed on its head, and hundreds of spear-like lightning bolts began to rain down on Meta Knight. The masked puffball was able to dodge the dragon's fierce attacks thanks to his well-trained reflexes and speed, but he knew he couldn't keep up the pace for long. He then came up with a plan.
Avoiding the spears, which chased him like they had a mind of their own, he ascended over the dragon's head and immediately dove towards the body of the being, sword in hand, at high speed. Meta Knight stabbed the dragon, burying Galaxia with all of his strength deep in the dragon's skin. Then he began to glide at high speed, slashing the dragon's back as he flew forward. Even as a sharp pain pierced his left wing, he didn't stop until he reached the end of the being's tail. The knight heard the dragon's roars of pain behind him as it was being struck in the open wound by its own spears.
It was then when he realized that he couldn't stay in the air: his left wing was burning, and, since he had gotten away from the dragon, the healing aura of the being had stopped affecting him. He was now aware of all the damage he had suffered in his reckless maneuver.
Meta Knight began to plummet from the sky. He wondered if the dragon would come down to finish the job, but instead he saw the being fly away, in pain from its wounds.
"A draw is it, then," the bruised warrior thought as he fell, smiling after such an epic battle. He closed his eyes and wondered how long it would take to reach planet's surface (and whether he would survive the impact from such a great height) or if there would be no such thing and he would fall indefinitely.
Suddenly, he felt something grab him gently. He opened his eyes slightly, but all he could see were gold and night-colored feathered wings and two pairs of blue eyes before darkness and pain consumed his consciousness.
–––
When he regained consciousness, he was lying in a warm bed. Meta Knight opened his eyes and sat up. He appeared to be in some sort of infirmary, and the only source of light was a couple of nearby lamps, implying that it was still night. Meta Knight noticed that the lamps didn't seem to run on electricity.
He felt strangely naked, and it didn't take him long to figure out why: his precious mask had been taken from him. He searched frantically for it and quickly spotted it on a nearby piece of furniture. The battle with the dragon had left it bruised, but it was still usable.
As the puffball sat up and reached for his mask, he felt a sharp, burning, stabbing pain in his left wing, though he didn't let that stop him from putting on his prized mask. He then checked his wing over his shoulder. It was immobilised and wrapped in bandages. Meta Knight was certain it had been severely damaged, but he had recovered from much worse injuries.
"So you already woke up."
Sitting in a nearby chair was a being who appeared to be of the same species as Adeleine, Kirby's painter friend, except that the strange individual's ears were more akin to those of a wolf and they didn't popped from the side of the head but from the top. The being's right eye was covered by an eyepatch, while the left was greyish blue. This, combined with their ash-gray hair, gave the person a sad and melancholy aura. They didn't seem to be a threat, especially if the cane on their hand was theirs. The being wore an elegant shirt with the sides (and probably back) open, revealing scars that appeared to be very old.
The individual moved towards him, relying on the cane as they seemed to have trouble moving the left side of their body.
"Don't worry about your weapon: it is right there," the individual, who because of his voice seemed to be male, informed Meta Knight, pointing with his right hand to a nearby showcase where Galaxia was resting. "We didn't want any of the children that live here to pick it up out of curiosity and get hurt, so Six grabbed it and put it out of their reach."
Galaxia did not allow everybody to even touch it, so Meta Knight was surprised that someone who wasn't him or Kirby was able to grab it. "This Six person must be a great warrior with a righteous heart," the knight reasoned.
"Where am I?" the warrior inquired.
"You're in the infirmary of Stardust Town, a place mostly populated by orphaned children," he replied. "You don't seem to recognise the name. Well, not many people outside of the mafia know about this island."
"Mafia? Is this guy a mobster? He doesn't seem to be able to hurt a fly. Though that would certainly explain the scars," Meta Knight thought.
"Don't worry, my days as a member of the mafia ended a while ago," the individual informed him, noticing his disbelief."Could you please tell me your name?"
"My name is Meta Knight," he replied. He was sure that only disclosing his name to this stranger wasn't a dangerous move.
"Meta Knight? What a peculiar name for an even more peculiar Primal Beast," the individual commented. "My name is Nehan, and, as you can see, I am the doctor of this small town."
"Primal Beast must be some sort of term for the magical creatures of this world," Meta Knight decided not to deny that statement just yet because it would be more convenient if the people of that planet assumed he was a native, at least until he was certain he could trust them.
Nehan moved closer to Meta Knight's wings, but the knight backed away on his bed, warily eyeing him.
"I understand that you don't trust me," Nehan said in a reassuring tone when he noticed the knight's reaction. "You have awoken in an unknown place after being attacked by a dragon, and I am a suspicious-looking erune. I swear that I just want to treat your wing. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it while you were unconscious, wouldn't I?"
Meta Knight had to give in: what Nehan said made sense. The doctor gently removed the bandage that covered his wing.
"Fascinating. Your wing was almost completely charred when they brought you here, but it's already regenerating."
"How do you know a dragon attacked me?" he asked suspiciously.
"Two angels saw your battle and brought you here because it is the nearest safe place they know," Nehan said, smearing something cold on his wing to relieve the burning pain. "We have a few acquaintances in common, so we knew they were trustworthy."
"Angels? Do such divine beings exist in this world?" The warrior pondered. Meta Knight had so many questions for the strange man who identified himself as a doctor, but his head felt a little cloudy.
"Do you feel dizzy? This medicinal ointment has a somewhat strong anaesthetic to relieve the pain," Nehan explained when he noticed Meta Knight was dazed. "It may make you sleepy, and your muscles may feel a little weak, but it will pass in a few hours."
"Why are you helping a creature you don't know? I could easily be a killing monster."
"JJust as I could have done it while you were unconscious, if you wanted to kill me, you would have done it by now," Nehan shrugged. "Your right wing is in perfect condition and looks sharp enough to cut off my head with a quick movement if you wanted to," he pointed. Then he added: "although the wing is recovering at an unusually fast rate, the pain is going to be acute for a while, so I recommend that you rest here."
"I thank you for your concern and service, but I can't stay," Meta Knight declined, while making a move to jump out of bed.
"Wait!"
Meta Knight tried to get up from the bed, but he suddenly felt dizzy and lost balance, causing him to almost fall on his face. Fortunately, Nehan caught him before that happened, the medic grunting in pain at the sudden effort.
"I told you that the anaesthetic was strong," Nehan reprimanded the knight as he put him back on the bed.
"But I...They need..." Meta Knight tried to reply, but he was feeling very dizzy and tired.
It didn't take him too long to fall asleep again.
When Meta Knight opened his eyes again, he was no longer at the infirmary. Instead, he was standing in an engine room, wrapped in an orange glow.
"Destroy the menace."
The Mother Computer's command repeated in his mind, drowning out his own thoughts. Even though his soul was trying to resist, his body simply obeyed the order and attacked the enemy.
The menace was Kirby, who looked at him with eyes full of fear and sadness. The pink puffball could barely dodge his attacks. Kirby seemed to be screaming something, but his words couldn't reach Meta Knight.
"Damn it, Kirby. You have to fight back!" he tried to tell his friend, but the words got lost inside his mind. Even as his laser sword nearly cut Kirby in half, the pink puffball refused to counterattack and just kept dodging.
"Destroy the menace," the Mother Computer insisted, the command sinking deeper into his mind with each repetition, suffocating any attempt to reclaim control of his body. He was vaguely conscious, and yet he was forced to be a first-person spectator of a battle that felt more like a cat chasing a mouse.
The chase, however, came to an end when the missiles entered the game. They were fired at full speed from the cannons that obnoxious secretary his boss had installed on his body. Kirby tried to avoid them, but there were too many of them, and they ended up hitting the young hero.
When the bombardment ended, Kirby lay still, never to move again.
He had managed it. He had finally defeated Kirby. He knew that he was supposed to feel overjoyed at having defeated his long-time rival, and yet he felt nothing but emptiness. Something inside of him had been shattered the moment Kirby took his last breath. But what exactly? He didn't care anymore. He wasn't allowed to care anymore.
"The menace has been neutralised," he declared in a totally monotone, robotic-like voice.
And with those words, what little of his soul remained died. He would be a mindless drone, forced to commit cruel acts for others forever.
Forever...
F̶o̶r̸e̶v̸e̵r̴
C̴a̶n̶ ̶y̶o̷u̴ ̸s̷e̴e̵ ̵i̴t̸ ̴n̸o̴w̴?̴ T̶̡̆h̸͓̚ḯ̵̖s̶̢̄ ̴͎̍w̵̰̅a̷̭͠s̵̲͊ ̸͍̀a̶͎̽l̴͇͝w̴̛͖ä̵̼́ÿ̶̼́s̶͈͝ ̸̰͝y̵̢͒o̵̤̔u̸̼͝r̶̥͝ ̸̢̚f̵̖̄a̶͕͛ṱ̶͌e̵͕̚.̷͕̾ ̷͔̿Y̸͑ͅo̵͉͂ù̴̝ ̸̮́w̶̰͊ë̶͉́r̶͙͝e̵͉͝ ̷͉̂n̷̦̑e̸̘͘v̵̰̕e̵̪̓r̸̯̾ ̶͙̄m̸̧̓e̸̙͌ă̴̘ň̷̥t̶͉̐ ̷̲͘t̶̡͑o̴̼̕ ̸͈̉b̷̩͌e̵͛͜ ̶̯̑a̴̩̓ knight,̸͕̎ ̵͍͒b̴̫̅u̷͉͘t̸̤̓ ̶̓ͅa̸̧͝ weapon ̷͚̎f̵̛͎o̴̧̓r̴̹͝ ̸̧̇ȏ̸̧t̴̮̂h̵̖̆ȩ̷́r̷̠̅s̵̫̽ ̵̦͠t̷͎̂o̵̙̚ ̸̛̲ű̴̜s̵̜̄e̷̺̓.̶̪̿ T̷h̷i̷s̶ ̶i̶s̷ ̷w̴h̷a̷t̷ ̸y̵o̵u̷ ̶a̶l̷w̸a̶y̷s̷ ̸h̸a̷v̴e̷ ̸b̷e̵e̸n̸.̷ ̵T̷h̶i̴s̵ ̴i̶s̸ ̷ what y̵o̴u̷ ̷w̵i̶l̷l̴ ̵a̵l̷w̸a̶y̸s̴ ̵b̷e̵.̵
F̝̭̗̭̌̓̒̉o͓̜̦͙͕͖̣̝̭̝̊̀͒͑̿̈̈͊̓r̯̲͎̞̐̊̏̒̉̌͊͋e͖̲̱̦̞͔̒̏͂͗ṽ̦̲͖̫͇͚̩̌̎̈̀̅́̀̆̈ͅe̗͇͈̤͛̋́̾̑͛̾r͉̜̰̯͖̜̞̬̝͚͍̣̆̌͆͊̍̂͂́̓̍̃.̣͕̬̫͍̖̀͂̋̆͌͐F̰̩̳͖͓̳̮̟̯͛̇̉̔͂̏̓̾̎̿̎̚o͇͔̖̰̰̳̭͇̐̃̎͋̚r̲̬͓̳̞̘̝͓̲͔̈̎̃̇̍̅͒̐͛͒e̠̬̳͙̬̯̪͇͗̈́̂̎̔̀̚v̤͍͙̞̋͒̐̍̾́e̩͕̳̗̗͚̍̍̍́ȑ͈͎̳̗͚͈̟͊̉̈́̀.̲̦̣̯͚͙͈̞͉͈̑̐̔̅͆͌F̙͙̝̰̣̯̞̖̮̘̽̈̀̆̊ȯ̰̥͕̪̰̤̞̘̫̫͂̓̒̽̋̇̓̔̚r̗̱̪͖̰̲̙̍̅̓͑ḙ̝͕͙̬͗̈́̔̆͆͗̆͑̒͊̒v͚̘͔̬͕̖͇̬̝͉̟͆͗͒́̽̑͐̾ͅé̳̣͖͕͇̭̳̗̝̃̆́͛̎̔̇r͔̝͕̯̝̲͂̀̍̉̆͋̒͌̎̍̊.̗̗̮̳̜̖͙͍͗͂̆̌F͖̩̗̥̙̝̖̥̆͂̋͋̆̿̊̊́̾o̟̲̜̟̤̿̇̔͊͑̿̂͒͋̾r͓̠͙̪̲͈͙̭̿̓̾̌̚ͅe̙͕̪͓͙͈̳̰̫̭͐̌̂̓͛̈̒̈̚v͕̠͓̥͉͙̳̫͉̠͕͋̃̄̿͋̈́̇͋̆̾̾e͇̜̠͕̣̝̭̭͕̰̳͐̓͒̊̌̐͂̓̄́̉̆ŕ̭̭̱͇̝͇͍̌̾̎̃́̇͊͂.̮̫̫̪͓̦̥͕͈̦́́̇̾̄̿͋̀̈͗̚F̪̤̥̫̳͚͎̈́͒̉̈́͌͛̊́̇ò̪̗̞̪̤͔̞̝͇̙̠̦͌͐́͆̾̋͊͂r͍͕̭͚͚̫̘̰̈́̓̈͒̃͛͒̊͂e̜͙̟͉͉͚̖̞͓̿͋̇̒̒́ṿ̦͕͍͈͈͛̆͌̄̚ĕ̦̜̜̣͔͖̱͎̅̆̆͊̄̏̈̚r̫̠̘̲̉͛͑̈̾̄̀̊̆͛̍ͅ.̦̠̲͔͉̯̰̗̱͕̟̲͛̆̈́͆̾̎̆̓̎̔F̤̘͉͚̟̔̊͒͆̑͌̐ọ̮̞̀̔̌̉̈ͅr̲̠̯̠̞̳̰̪͉̪̫͓̒̄̀̊͐͊̋e̬̞̳̫̰͙̖̦̱̰͌̈̂͆́̀́͂̐v̰̘̪͔͎̬̠̉̍̔̏͗̍̄̋͒̉̚e͉͈͖͇̤͉̩̞̞̗̬͙͌̆̍̏̏̓̍̎̀͛ṛ̠̘͔̿̈̍͐͊̈͑̇̎̎̀.͍̲̖̩̮̯̟͖̞͆͆̉͊̈̾̆̆̉͊ͅF͖͙̠̳̮̲̘͋̓̊͗̏͌͂̒̄̅̓o̞̦̥̝̟̒͆͊̿̏̎͗̈́̈̉̀̍r̠̣͓͎͔͈̦̘̞̀̃̉̉̇͆̇̈̉͐͒̚e͉̮̘̰̲͙͉̪̅̃̔͛̎̋v̖̖̣̰̏̑̾͗̀e̝̤̤͍̱͇̎͗͂̔͌͂͋͌͐ŕ̬̱͕͚̥̜͕͚̭̟̇͐̍͊̃.͓̦̖̱͙̣͕̂̒̐̈̏̃͛͛̂̆̊̓F̞̠̳̯̆̾̃̆̀͛̐̎o̰͕͈̥̯̖̾̈̔͂̄̀̆͗̌̈́̅̚r̩̳̣̝̭͙͚͚͓̙̖͓̈́̄̔́͋̓͗̏̚ḙ̘̟̘̫͚͎̘̏̅̍͆̑̅̓͐ͅv̥̯̭̝͉͍͍̫̜̜̟̭͌͗̏̐̎̀é̪̠̞̗͍̮́̔́̀r̰̤̥͈̂͐̆̐͑̌.̠̯͓̟͓̗̒̉̓̀̾̑͂͑F̌̊o͔̬̪̩͗̔́̇ȓ͕͓͈̲̱͚͉̽̑̀e͖̝̩͓̫͔͖͔̫̬̲̋̈͐̉̀̋̓͌͗͋v̯͈͍̬̲͔̲̜̗̥̿̀̂̆̒̾̾̀̇͌́ͅê͍̣̠͓͈̩̣̩̈́̀̑̀̐̍̑́͒̾̚r͓͔͇̙̰̥̯̠̅̍̈̑̓͂́͌̓̆.͔̯͙͇͔̙̜̌͋̇̏̍̈F̬̝͚̣̬̮̙̭̯̆̉͛͋̆͑̓̀̏̀ò̰̟̰͈̩̳̜̀͋́͂̑r̬̳͍̳̈́̓́̀̊͐̇̀̾́̚e͈͙̗̪̦̯̣̅̿͊̂͛̂́̽̀̎v̖͖̦̘̙͙͑̐͋̐̋̔͌͑̈́͆́e̜͂̄̆͂͊͗r̟̜͚̖̰͎̳͖̯̜͉̍̀͛́̀̈́̚.͓͙̣̜͍̙͇̘̌͛̂̋F̳̦͙͚͙̲͎̦̗̘̃̔̓̍͊̍̄͐̀̊ȯ̯̗͇̟͂͒͆̈́̑̾̿̄r̝̥̲̜̦̫͎͕̐̊͛̀̀͐͐̄̐̈́̚ͅé̘̠̣͔̄̆̀v̮̱̲͎̥̤̰̫͂̃̔͌̀̌͆ḛ̝̩̜̣͕͓̪͍̍̉̒͑r̩̘͓͎̀̂̈͂̈́̽̂.̮͇͖̟̏͂̽̊̎͒͛̅̋̅͋͆ͅ
"NO!" he screamed, rebelling with all his might against the intrusive thought that was trying to drown his mind in despair.
Meta Knight woke up, startled due to the nightmare. Where was he? Oh yeah, in the infirmary of a place called Stardust Town.
Meta Knight could feel his heart pounding inside of him. That dream had caused him undue stress. He despised the memories of his capture by the Haltmann Works Company: how he had been tortured, modified, experimented on, mind-controlled...
It had been way too familiar.
And then Nightmare had twisted those memories into the worst-case scenario to create that dreadful dream. Fortunately, the real Kirby had not been intimidated by the machine he had been turned into and had fought it with all his might. On top of that, having to save his "friend-rival-mentor", as the pink pufball called him, had given the little hero even more motivation to stop the invasion.
Meta Knight let out a sigh. It wasn't like him to feel that way. He needed to regain control of his emotions, and to do so, he had to get his mind off those events as soon as possible.
"One, two, three, inspire. One, two, three, expire," he repeated to himself like a mantra to calm down.
He then redirected his thoughts towards his enemy. The fact that Nightmare was able to conjure up such a dream to torture him could only mean that the villain had gained access to his memories of the Haltmann Works Company invasion, and Nightmare now had a weapon to use against him and the people he cared about.
"I'll make him pay for this," he promised himself.
Meta Knight checked his surroundings: it was still nighttime. He then sat up and searched for Nehan. The knight discovered him at a desk, grinding herbs into a slimy mass. Had the doctor gotten any sleep? He could have been a nocturnal species. The doctor raised his head and gave Meta Knight a worried look.
"Are you okay?" Nehan asked the knight as he approached to check him. "Hmm. Your heart rate is way too high, and you look very stressed out. Did you have a nightmare?" Meta Knight nodded. "I was afraid for a moment that you had suffered a negative reaction to the medicine. I had never tested it on a Primal Beast."
Nehan turned and began to prepare something that seemed to be tea based on the utensils he was using. Some things were not very different from one world to another.
"Here, it will calm you down and help you sleep despite your bad dreams," the doctor assured. Meta Knight sensed that he knew that from personal experience.
Meta Knight thanked him, turned his back to the doctor, removed his mask a bit, and began to drink the tea. It had a sweet, floral flavour that reminded him of linden. Because his metabolism processed food and medicine quickly, he immediately noticed the relaxing effect of it.
"I apologise removing your mask without permission," Nehan said when he noticed his behaviour.
"It was your duty as a doctor to check for injuries under the mask, so I'll let it slide," he replied, putting his mask back on and returning his attention to Nehan. Doctors were an exception to the "no one is allowed to remove my mask" rule that he had to make on rare occasions, which is why he always went to the same doctors who already had his trust.
Was Nehan trustworthy? He hadn't done anything suspicious, and his concern was genuine. On the other hand, that weak look and kindness could be faked so that Meta Knight would let his guard down.
And then there was that person or being that Nehan had called Six. Galaxia was a legendary weapon that could only be wielded by those it chose, so he knew Six would be on the side of justice. But if justice was often subjective, would it mean the same for him as it did for the beings of that world?
Meta Knight grumbled, frustrated. That's why he hated staying still: his mind always started to wander unnecessarily. Until his wing was healed, he doubted he would be able to leave that place, so in the meantime, he didn't have any other option but to trust Nehan.
"I'm not a Primal beast," the knight finally revealed, in order to see how the doctor would react.
Nehan blinked for a few seconds ,puzzled by those words.
"Interesting," he finally said, in a completely calm tone.
"Interesting? That is all?" Meta Knight asked, a bit confused after that unexpected reaction. "Shouldn't you have questions about what I am, where I come from, or what my intentions are?"
Meta Knight had expected a reaction of disbelief, amazement, curiosity, or even fear towards an unknown creature. But full and blatant acceptance? Perhaps that world was used to receiving visits from beings from other dimensions.
"We can talk about it when morning comes," Nehan replied. "Now resting is your priority."
"Nehan? Mugen has had a nightmare," a voice that sounded deep but childish was heard on the other side of the door of the infirmary. A worried expression appeared on Nehan's face.
"I'll be back soon," Nehan excused himself as he grabbed his cane and headed made his way to the door. "Try to sleep again," he advised before departing. "Don't worry, Mugen: I'm here," Meta Knight heard him say as he walked away.
Meta Knight lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. He soon fell asleep once more.
–––
When he regained consciousness once more, he didn't open his eyes immediately because he could feel sunlight on his face, indicating that morning had arrived. The night had been plagued with bad dreams, though none as horrifying as that first nightmare.
"Do you really believe that that thing is not dangerous, Nehan?" he heard an unknown voice say, speaking aggressively. "We don't know what kind of creature it is or what kind of powers it has. It could even have lied to you when he said he wasn't a primal."
"He doesn't seem hostile, and if he were a danger to our sky, the angels wouldn't have brought him in," he heard Nehan reply.
"Seriously, isn't it strange that we all had bad dreams tonight?" that same voice insisted. "I mean, with how hard their lives have been, it's not unusual for the town's children to have nightmares. But every single one of them at the same time, coinciding with the arrival of this thing? You can't deny that it is suspicious."
That put Meta Knight in dismay. If the beings of that world were prone to bad dreams under normal conditions, it was not surprising that Nightmare had chosen it. The villain could exploit those dreams to get stronger and rebuild his army quickly.
"He has suffered a nightmare too, one severe enough to stress him," Nehan defended the knight. "Why would an injured being do that to itself?"
"He might not be the source of the nightmares, but if he isn't a threat, why did the dragon attack him?" a female voice countered. Although it was filled with suspicion, there was no sign of aggression in its tone. "It was not the average dragon. According to the angels, it was the dragon of light himself, the one Siete warned us about."
"The one that belongs to the group of six dragons that attacked Gran and Djeeta for no reason other than just existing?" Nehan retorted.
"Okay, maybe the dragon's judgement isn't our best clue," the female voice conceded.
"Now that you mention Gran and Djeeta, shouldn't we inform them about this?" the male voice commented. "Maybe they know something about this being."
"I agree. Perhaps we should tell Siete too," Nehan proposed.
"No, not Siete. I don't feel like I can stand him for long right now, " the male voice complained.
Meta Knight decided to open his eyes. The three names that they had mentioned (Siete, Gran, and Djeeta) seemed to be very important for those people. He would have to ask about them later.
Meta Knight stood up, his wing resenting his movement. The people Nehan was accompanied by seemed to be from his same species due to their furry ears. They looked a bit younger than the doctor. One of them had purple hair tied back in a short braid. The other had a more feminine figure, with their pink hair pulled back in a long braid. The faces of both were very similar, as if they were related. They both wore light brown armour covered by a white and gold cape with a red underside.
"Good morning, Meta Knight," the doctor greeted him cordially, seeing him awake. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. The wing hurts a lot less and my head is clear," he answered.
"I'm glad to hear that. These are Quatre and Esser," Nehan introduced his companions, pointing first to the one with purple hair and then to the one with pink hair. "They are the leaders and protectors of this town."
"Nice to meet you," Esser said politely, despite her misgivings.
Quatre said nothing. He just looked at him, eyes full of suspicion.
"Hear my warning well, because I won't say it twice," he said in a menacing tone, finally breaking his silence. "If you dare bring harm to any of the children in my care, I will give you a slow and painful death," he threatened, pulling out a big triangular dagger.
"Brother!" Esser scolded him. "Do you think it's normal to threaten a wounded person that way?"
"I have no intention of hurting any defenceless child. I am a knight of honour," Meta Knight replied, offended by the threat. Although he understood why they didn't trust him, such hostility was unnecessary.
At least Meta Knight was sure of one thing about Quatre: he cared a lot about the children of this town, to the point of killing for them. Yes, he was convinced that the threat had not been a bluff. His instinct told him that Quatre was a battle-hardened warrior, even if his armour bared his side and back, as did his sister's and Nehan's shirts. Did that entire species dress like that?
"I've heard you talk," Meta Knight admitted. "Did you say that everyone in this town had nightmares tonight?" he asked, just to be sure.
"So you know something about it. Speak!" Quatre demanded, raising his blade to the height of the opening in Meta Knight's mask. The puffball was sure that if he had had a neck, Quatre would have pressed the dagger against it.
"Put your weapon down, unless you wish to fight me," he warned with cold fury.
"Do you really think you'd have any chance of defeating me while you're crippled?" the other mocked him.
"Quatre, please stop. Don't incite my patient to fight," Nehan requested. He seemed to have realised that Meta Knight wouldn't refuse a duel, despite his condition.
"Defeating someone who gets carried away by their emotions? Yes, I can do that. Allow me to take my weapon and I'll show it to you," Meta Knight replied. Nehan sighed in resignation as his suspicions were confirmed.
A half-smile spread across Quatre's face before he said:
"For one so small, you seem to be very overconfident. Do you know who you're talking to?"
"A teenager with attitude problems?" he replied with a low chuckle, keeping his tone calm the whole time. This seemed to be angering Quatre even more. Meta Knight knew he shouldn't get into trouble, but his body was crying out for a fight.
"Quatre, relax. Let's not cause unnecessary conflicts," Esser tried to calm her brother down while she made him lower his weapon. "Forgive him; he is a bit impulsive and overprotective, but I assure you that he is a good person. Besides, we haven't had a good night," she told Meta Knight. "While it's true that we don't trust you, I think his reaction is out of place."
"But have you seen this guy? He doesn't lift three feet off the ground and he pretends to be a great and honourable warrior," he replied indignantly. "He doesn't even dare to show his face! He is just like Six!"
"What were you saying about me?"
Leaning against the door of the infirmary, there was another being of the same species as the rest. Meta Knight was starting to believe that all the inhabitants of that world looked like that.
What caught his attention about the newcomer was not that their hair was the exact same color as Nehan's, but that their face was hidden by a mask that vaguely reminded him of a wolf. How long had they been there and why hadn't he noticed their presence?
Six had an intimidating aura around him, though it didn't affect Meta Knight. He wore armour similar to that of the siblings (including a bare back) and an identical cape. Was that the uniform of some kind of organisation? Immediately, Meta Knight noticed how Nehan had looked away from the individual, but it didn't seem to be out of fear but out of discomfort. It seemed that those two had a history in common. If he had been there, Dedede probably would have made an inappropriate comment.
As the knight reflected on Dedede, he couldn't help but wonder how he was doing. Had the king followed them into that world? If Kirby had jumped into the portal, he doubted Dedede had stayed behind. "Please, Dedede, don't get into much trouble and stay safe," he wished, recalling how, in the Forgotten Land, the king had ended up directly in the clutches of the Beast Pack while attempting to save his Waddle Dees alone and had consequently fallen victim to mind control yet again. Though unlike their previous adventure, the situation should be better now that all three of them have ended up in that world at the same time. Dedede had actually spent a long period of time in the Forgotten Land before he and Kirby arrived,and he was certain that the king's psyche had suffered as a result.
And what about Bandana Waddle Dee? The last time Meta Knight had seen him, the little warrior was trying to prevent the portal from swallowing Magolor, so perhaps he had been left behind. Bandana didn't worry him as much as Dedede, as the resourceful little one always managed to avoid capture and come to Kirby's or the monarch's aid with his trusty spear at the first opportunity. And if the Waddle Dee was on Pop Star, he probably would be working hard in order to send them backups as soon as possible.
"Hey Six, why didn't you tell us you had a long-lost twin brother of an unknown species?" Quatre mocked, returning Meta Knight's attention to the situation he was in.
"Esser, what in the Otherworld is your brother talking about?" Six asked in a tone that danced on the line between irritation and confusion, yet it sounded calm.
"He was drawing a parallel between you and our visitor," she explained to the newcomer. "And now that I think about it..." she began to add, looking alternately at one and the other. "In some ways, you two have the same vibe. The mask, the aura of mystery, that odd calm in your voices when you speak..."
"Wrongly believing they are the strongest person in town," Quatre interrupted her. His sister looked at him reproachfully.
For a moment, Meta Knight and Six stared at each other, trying to guess what the other was thinking behind the mask.
"Honestly, I don't understand what you're talking about," they both said at the same time, puzzled by the synchronicity. Nehan placed his hand on his temple. Esser barely suppressed a laugh. Quatre began to laugh out loud.
"Are you done?" Six and Meta Knight said, again at the same time, to Quatre when he seemed to have stopped laughing, with some irritation in their voices. Quatre laughed even harder again, and Esser couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. Nehan hoped the earth would swallow him whole.
"They were separated at birth," Quatre sentenced, trying to regain his composure.
Meta Knight and Six looked at each other again. They both had a feeling that they had a very long day ahead of them.
This is another chapter splited in two halves. So yeah: there is still another chapter of Meta Knight interacting with part of the Eternals.
In the end, I decided to use the Japanese names of the Eternals because let's be honest: almost nobody uses the English ones (although, personally, I like Seox more than Six).
Also, just like this chapter and the next one focuses on Meta Knight's POV and his arrival at the sky Realm, future chapters (9, 10 and 11) will show what happened to Dedede.