This chapter contains a lore dump about the Sky Realm in the middle, so those who have not played Granblue Fantasy can have a bit of context for what is going on with that world. It also contains a brief recap of Kirby's Adventure told from Meta Knight's point of view.
Another thing that I must clarify is that even if the characters are from the "game/canon" Kirby universe, I have taken some elements from the anime for Nightmare's characterization because the one from the original game doesn't have enough build-up for what I want in this story.
Update: This chapter has been revised as of April 19th, 2023. Please note that the following chapters may still have mistakes as I've yet to revise them. I have added a new scene.
The Eternals and the Sky Realm
Once Quatre had finished laughing, Meta Knight sighed to shake off his irritation and proceeded to reveal to those present where he had come from and the cause of the nightmares.
Although he had expected scepticism, the other four seemed to to accept the fact that he came from another world with ease. After questioning them about it, Six responded that the "skyfarers" (a profession that seemed to be a mixture of professional adventurers and mercenaries from what the puffball understood) crew that he usually travelled with was used to interacting with beings from other worlds.
Obviously, when Meta Knight mentioned Nightmare as the source of everyone's nightmares the night before, their attention (especially Quatre's) immediately shifted from him to the villain.
"Nightmare is a dark, malevolent being that feeds on fear and despair, which he spreads through nightmares," he explained. "He also has the ability to create monsters with the power and knowledge he extracts from them. He founded a company to sell his creations in order to expand his influence over several planets, eventually forming an empire that spanned over several galaxies. I have faced many of his creations throughout my life in my effort to defend my home galaxy, Gamble, from him. Or that was until I received a call from an old acquaintance stating that he had managed to 'seal him,' " he recounted.
"So, this 'intergalactic' tyrant was sealed just like that? That is hard to believe," Quatre commented, arching an eyebrow.
"I was also sceptical at the time," the knight admitted. "Thirty years ago, King Dedede was not the brave monarch he is today, and, even if he insists that he had everything planned, I'm pretty sure that he caught the villain by chance. To accomplish this, he destroyed a legendary artefact, the Star Rod, while Nightmare was trying to corrupt the Fountain of Dreams that it powered, trapping the villain inside it. He contacted me to task me with the protection of one of the Star Rod fragments while he tried to figure out how to get rid of that villain."
To give more credibility to his story, Meta Knight made the fragment of the Star Rod he had managed to grab before appear. He wasn't sure whether to show something of such importance to those strangers at first, but his instinct told him that he could trust them despite Quatre's attitude and mistrust of him. Besides, he needed allies due to his current state and the fact he in an unknown world where Nightmare would almost certainly have a tactical advantage.
"When the Star Rod is on top of the Fountain, all inhabitants of the planet where it is located are blessed with good dreams. It is a magical force totally opposed to Nightmare, and the only thing that can harm him outside the Dream World. However, only someone pure of heart is able to wield the Star Rod at its full power."
"Pureness of heart is not something that can be easily found in our world... Would it be possible to fight him within the Dream World without the need of the Star Rod?" Six was curious.
"Fighting Nightmare in his domain would be suicide: he has complete control over dreams," Meta Knight stated.
"So how did this villain return after your acquaintance sealed him?" Nehan asked.
"Unfortunately, when the Star Rod breaks, the Fountain of Dreams stops working, and the inhabitants of the planet lose the ability to have good dreams," the knight informed. "That irritated them, and one of them decided to recover its fragments, believing that the king's intentions were ill. He fought and defeated everyone who had been entrusted with a fragment of the Star Rod, fixing it. Then, when he realised that he had freed Nightmare, he did what nobody had been able to do in millennia: he destroyed him."
Meta Knight smiled under his mask, remembering his first confrontation with Kirby. His defeat at the hands of the young puffball was the beginning of a rivalry that over time had become a strong friendship.
"So that person defeated you too, huh? Didn't you introduce yourself as the strongest warrior in your galaxy? I knew it was bullcrap," Quatre scoffed.
"Brother, watch your language," Esser scolded him.
"Kirby is not a warrior, nor does he wish to be one," Meta Knight asserted. "There is none like him," he affirmed, remembering how Kirby had defeated his last enemy by running him over with a truck that he had put in his mouth (though he refrained from telling them that story due to how absurd it was). "He is also the only being that has been able to defeat me in fair combat."
Deep down, he was still a bit frustrated by always losing to someone as young as Kirby. But it was something he had learned to live with, and he had used it as a source of motivation for him to continue training and improving.
"Hold on. You said that Kirby destroyed Nightmare, so how did he come back?" Esser questioned.
"Unfortunately, it seems that his soul lived on, and a treacherous magician, a former enemy of ours, has brought him back to life for some unknown reason."
Meta Knight growled angrily at the thought of Magolor. Among the defenders of Dreamland, he was the one who had always trusted the magician the least, and while he had ended up giving Magolor a chance, he still doubted that the magician was fully redeemed, no matter how much Kirby insisted. "Who in his right mind builds an amusement park as an apology for trying to take over the universe? Forgiveness can't be bought..."
Meta Knight let out a sigh. He needed to refocus on what he was telling the others.
"When we saw that Nightmare had returned, we tried to stop him," he continued, his thoughts shifting away from the magician. "However he opened a dimensional gap to this world and broke the Star Rod again. I launched myself in pursuit of him, and, well, here I am."
Meta Knight looked at his companions. He had just blurted out a lot of information to them, and he didn't even know if they would believe a story as farfetched as his.
"Well, I've already told you who I am and what my intentions are," he finished. "Now that I've put my trust in you, you should tell me who you are. Because, based on your appearance and the way you speak, I doubt that you are simply protectors of an island inhabited by children," he pointed out.
Esser, Quatre, and Six looked at each other for a brief moment. After Six and Quatre nodded in silent agreement, Esser said:
"We are part of a crew called the Eternals. We are regarded as the world's 10 most powerful warriors."
"Each one of us masters a weapon or fighting discipline," Six continued. "I dominate hand-to-hand combat. Quatre is a deadly specialist in daggers–" the aforementioned smiled smugly–" and Esser is lethal with firearms. Our leader, Siete, is a master of the sword like no other in the Sky Realm."
Meta Knight felt like he had just won the lottery. He had been found by strongest warriors in that world! A desire to duel them awoke within him. After a long time, he would have a chance to test his strength against worthy opponents other than Kirby. The leader of the group especially interested him, as they both dominated the same weapon discipline.
A sharp pain in his left wing brought him back to reality. It was not a good time to challenge any of these "Eternals" to a match, as he was not in optimal condition. Meta Knight glanced quickly at Nehan, curious to know his role in the group.
"Don't look at me," he said, anticipating the knight's question. "I'm just a former mafia member with pharmaceutical knowledge and an outstanding debt to this town, as well as its protectors."
Meta Knight decided not to press Nehan on that 'debt' issue. While he was intriged (it didn't sound like monetary debt), he was not one to meddle in the private affairs of others.
"And what are your ambitions?" he asked, turning back to the trio of Eternals. "I doubt you hold that power and title for naught."
"Protect the sky and defend those who cannot do it for themselves," Quatre answered. "Even if some consider us monsters or villains because of our power and methods, we will risk our lives for the inhabitants of this world with no hestitation," he stated in a solemn tone that Meta Knight would never have expected coming out the teenager's mouth.
"I see. We are not so different after all," Meta Knight understood. "Will you grant me your help to stop this threat?"
"What do you need?" Six asked.
"First, I would like to locate Kirby and possibly the king, since they have one fragment each," Meta Knight decided. "Second, we have to find a way to locate the remaining fragments. We also need to establish a line of defence against Nightmare's creations. Unlike their creator they are vulnerable in the real world despite being beings born from nightmares and fear."
The Eternals didn't need much time to decide what would be the best course of action.
"Nehan, can you write a letter to Gran and Djeeta?" Esser requested the doctor.
"Sure," he said as he approached his desk and began to write.
"Who are Gran and Djeeta?" Meta Knight asked curiously, since they had mentioned those names before.
"It could be said that they are honorary members of the Eternals," Esser answered. "They are the captains of the skyfarer crew that Six usually travels with. They have saved the Sky Realm from destruction several times. In fact, I'm pretty sure that they have already realised that something is wrong."
"I keep saying that we should give the leadership of the Eternals to those two," Quatre commented. "They've done more to unite us than Siete."
"They are also the acquaintances we have in common with the angels who saved you," Six added, ignoring Quatre's remark about their leader. "They have enough resources and contacts to rally half of this Skydom against Nightmare. Dragons, primal beasts, kings, and leaders of various Orders of knights, just to name a few."
That statement left Meta Knight pensive. Those two people wielded far too much influence. He wondered if they were aware that, by pulling the proper strings, they could spark a conflict that could throw their world into chaos.
"We are not delegating this issue to others because we aren't taking this situation seriously. I swear, if anyone can help you find your friends and organise a defensive force, it's them," Six assured, misunderstanding the knight's doubts.
"I haven't said that Kirby and the King are my friends," Meta Knight commented, surprised by the certainty with which Six had said that. Though the Eternal was correct: after everything they had been through together, he considered Kirby, Bandana Waddle Dee and Dedede his friends.
"You don't realise it, but your tone warms up when you talk about them," Esser pointed out. "Another thing Six and you have in common."
Six turned away from the group and grunted in embarrassment.
"Going back to the subject of Nightmare," Meta Knight began to say, "I would recommend that you strengthen the defences of this town. Because it is full of orphaned children who are prone to bad dreams, it could become a perfect 'breeding ground' for Nightmare's demon beasts. He will almost certainly send his creations to take over it."
"I would like to see him try," Quatre chuckled ominously. "If that dark lord dares to show his head around here, I'll make him learn the true definition of fear."
Meta Knight was going to remind Quatre that Nightmare couldn't be hurt in the real world, but his stomach growled loudly interrumpting what he was about to say. He hadn't eaten in hours.
"Uhhh, I'm sorry about that," Meta Knight apologised, hiding his embarrassment as best he could.
"I guess even beings from another dimension need to eat," Esser said with an amused smile. "I'll see what we have around here."
"Bring me a sandwich, sis," his brother asked in an attempt to annoy her.
"Do I look like a maid? You aren't wounded or sick, so bring it yourself," she bluntly replied. Before walking out the door, she asked Meta Knight: "Does your species follow any kind of special diet?"
Meta Knight saw an opportunity in that question, and he did not let it escape.
"Sweets and desserts. My species needs to consume a lot of sugary food."
After eating, which he did alone, Meta Knight had been given permission to leave the infirmary and retrieve his weapon, showing that the Eternals no longer mistrusted him. Quatre had even apologized for his hostile behavior, but did not retract his threat. Six volunteered to guide him through the town and Meta Knight decided to ask him for about that world and how it worked.
The "Sky Realm" was a planet made up of islands floating in the sky, and it was divided in separated regions called Skydoms. Its surface, known as "the Crimson Horizon" or "the Otherworld", was supposed to be an unracheable zone where life was unable to thrive. The islands were inhabited mostly by four similar races: the erunes (to which Six and the others belonged) with animal-like ears; the draphs, whose anatomy worked similarly to that of cows and bulls; the harvin, who were small in size and had pointed ears, and humans, whose description matched Adeleine's kin. There were also other races, such as vampires, goblins, and half-dragons, to name a few, but they were rare and usually only lived on their own islands.
The Sky Realm was also home to a wild variety of monsters: minotaurs, bloodthirsty wolves, giant snakes, carnivorous plants...—a sinister and dangerous fauna and flora that threatened the lives of the inhabitants of the sky on a daily basis. Despite this, Meta Knight was certain that none of his companions would have problems defending themselves against these creatures.
However, the dragons, like the one that had attacked him, were instead sentient quasi-divine beings that had emerged with the origin of the world. Their general attitude towards mortals ranged from tolerance to hostility, depending on the individual. The dragon that had attacked him was, in fact, one of the originals, the most powerful group among these creatures (also called 'wedges'), of which only six were known. These six dragons were corporeal embodiments of the world's elements that had gained a personality. That meant that what Meta Knight had actually fought was light itself.
But these 'wedges' weren't the only beings connected to the foundations of the Sky Realm. The artificial primal beasts could also play that role.
Contrary to what Meta Knight had deduced the last night (when Nehan mistook him for one), these creatures were not native to that world. The Sky Realm had been at war until five hundred years prior against beings of incredible power and advanced technology (for that world) called the Astrals. They had invaded the world millennia ago and subdued its inhabitants with the creation of these beasts, to which they had been granted powers capable of dominating everything from material and tangible aspects of the world, such as natural elements, to concepts as intangible as knowledge, relationships, dreams, or justice. The appearance of these creations varied as much as their abilities: some attempted to emulate dragons or recreate figures from ancient legends, while others appeared in humanoid form.
Despite the existence of these creatures and the technological superiority of the Astrals, after centuries of learning and evolution, the inhabitants of the Sky Realm had managed to turn the conflict around after developing weapons and techniques capable of defeating the invaders and their creations, some of which had also changed sides over time.
Even if the millennial war was over, he had been informed that its consequences could still be seen in the Sky Realm's societies. There was no unified law enforcement (the closest thing being a single guild that operated similar to a private security force called the "crew of enforcers"), each island or archipelago having its own laws and rulers. Also, territorial conflicts were still frequent.
This lack of a unified order led to the appearance of networks and societies that used terrible practises such as murder; arms, drug and slave trafficking, and even human experimentation, among others, to extend their influence or dominance. In addition, there were still threats to that world, such as the sinister inhabitants of the moon and some demonic beings called "Otherworlders", who inhabited the Crimson Horizon.
In a world so full of danger and cruelty, it wouldn't be hard for a being like Nightmare to prosper.
He had also been able to briefly meet the angels who had saved him before their departure. Meta Knight had expected a pair of multi-eyed, flaming-winged luminous creatures, but instead their appearance turned out to be quite mundane: they were just winged humans. Six had informed him that, in that world, the terms "angel" or "primarch" referred to the first branch of primal beasts that had been created, all belonging to the same faction in charge of safeguarding the Sky Realm, until they had been disbanded in recent times.
Halluel and Malluel, who had been the primarchs of instruction, were now dedicated to what they called "the Archangel Parcel Service", a mailing business that allowed them to continue with their original purpose as transmitters of information while also allowing them to live a "normal" life in the Sky Realm, a privilege that many primal beasts sought but few achieved. They would be the ones to deliver Nehan's letter to Gran and Djeeta that very day. Meta Knight thanked the archangels for his rescue before they left to deliver the Eternals' message.
"I will never be able to thank you two enough for saving my life" Meta Knight told the angel duo .
"There is no need for that," Halluel replied with a radiant smile. "We just did what our hearts told us."
"Besides, we couldn't let a cute little thing like you fall into the Crimson Horizon. It is not a desirable destination for anyone," Malluel commented.
"Cute little thing?" the knight repeated mentally, perplexed. He didn't know whether to feel flattered or offended.
"I don't want to imagine what would have happened if you hadn't been there," the knight said. Would he have survived his fall to the Crimson Horizon? And in that case, would he have been able to escape it? The place sounded hellish.
"Well, we couldn't just ignore a dimensional gap appearing in our delivery area," Halluel replied. "What we didn't expect was for the wedge of light to show up!"
"We weren't sure what to do, so we didn't interrupt your fight," Malluel continued explaining. "Since the six dragons awoke, we have tried our best to stay out of each other's affairs to avoid conflict. But when we saw you fall, we decided that we couldn't sit idly by.
"And you didn't pause to consider why the dragon attacked me before deciding to save me?" Meta Knight questioned them.
"Not at all. I mean, the dragons once attacked Gran and Djeeta, so why should we have to trust their criteria?" replied Halluel. She seemed a bit irritated by that.
"Everyone around here holds a lot of respect and appreciation for Gran and Djeeta," Meta Knight realised. "I wonder what kind of person they actually are. I can't wait to meet them."
"Well, we should be leaving now. That letter is not going to deliver itself!" Halluel claimed.
"I will not delay you any longer then. Sorry for messing up your delivery schedule," Meta Knigh apologised.
"Don't worry about it! I'm sure people won't mind g etting their letters a bit later when there is a bad guy spreading nightmares across the world," Malluel dismissed.
"We hope to see you again! It has been a pleasure meeting you!" the twin angels exclaimed as they bid farewell.
"The pleasure was all mine," Meta Knight responded, bowing his head in respect.
Now he only had to wait for those famous Skyfarers to come pick him and Six up. Esser and Quatre had decided to stay behind to protect their island after Meta Knight's warning, and Nehan was in no physical condition to make long journeys. The doctor had been in a coma for nearly a year and that his body was not fully recovered yet.
However, until that time came, he had nothing else to do but walk around the town in company of Six. They were now observing how the children played around the town despite the dreams that had tormented them last night. "If they are able to continue with their daily lives, they must have a strong will. Nightmare won't take them over easily," Meta Night noted, relieved.
"Woaw, is he really an alien?" he heard a human boy ask.
A human kid and his two companions had been spying on Meta Knight and Six for a while, poorly hiding themselves due to one of them being way too big to go unnoticed.
"I thought that the aliens lived on the Moon," an erune girl remarked.
"Nehan says that it came from beyond the Moon," said the third...child? From the way he spoke and his manners, he seemed to be a child, but his gigantic size and physical appearance confounded Meta Knight.
"Mugen, it's not good to spy on others," Six scolded the giant kid, who by his horns seemed to be a draph. His voice and name were familiar to Meta Knight: he was the one who had called Nehan during the night. "And that goes for you two as well."
"Mugen is sorry," the first apologised.
"Yes, we're sorry, big bro Six," the erune girl emphasised.
"But we were very curious about him!" the human boy claimed, pointing at Meta Knight.
"It's not me you have to apologise to," the Etnernal said.
"Sorry, sir!" the three children said as they lowered their heads, making Meta Knight realise how short he was in comparison to the average inhabitants of that world: even the smallest of those children was a head larger than him.
"It's fine. You are just children being children. Your curiosity is normal," he reassured them.
Normally, he didn't see himself in such situations. If he had to watch over a city, he kept his distance from crowds and observed vigilantly from a high elevation—which was impossible with his wounded wing.
The worst part about being injured was feeling useless. He considered himself someone who was patient, but being unable to do anything but wait while his enemy was surely growing stronger got on his nerves, especially knowing that Kirby and Dedede would be already working on defeating the villain.
He needed to do more than just sit and watch those children play. He needed to at least train.
"Six, can I ask you a favour?" he asked his companion once the children had left.
And so, at sunset, they went to a clearing in the forest that surrounded the town and began their combat. The winner would be the first person who manahed to disarm the other. "It shouldn't be too complicated," the knight thought.
Meta Knight was the first to attack, but Six dodged it without flinching, moving with astonishing agility. His moves were clean and precise, but Meta Knight's reflexes were sharp and he was able to block all of the Eternal's attacks with his sword.
Clearly, Six was holding back part of his power. His attacks lacked the lethal and destructive power one would expect from the world's best melee fighter. Meta Knight was a little disappointed, but he couldn't ask for more either: he was holding himself back too, in order to avoid an overexertion that would damage his wing further. Surely, if the two gave their all, they wouldn't make it out in one piece. And that was something he couldn't afford if he wanted to stand up againts Nightmare and his creations in the near future.
Meta Knight waited for his opponent to make his next move. This time, instead of blocking with his sword, he dove to dodge and counterattacked with a quick slash towards his opponent's mask. Six was ready, and he caught Meta Knight's sword with his metal claws. There was a strong struggle between both weapons until Six gave the puffball a kick that threw him several metres backward.
The Eternal lunged at the knight with its claws at full speed, but Meta Knight had an ace up his sleeve. Just as he had done in his fight against Kirby in Waddle Dee Town's Coliseum, the knight used his gravity-controlling powers to rip large chunks of dirt and rock out of the ground and throw them at Six. This caught the Eternal by surprise, and he had to slow down to break through the rain of rocks.
Meta Knight took the opportunity to jump on him. Six was not caught unaware and landed a lightning-fast uppercut. Galaxia connected with Six's mask at the same time the Eternal's right gauntlet claws connected with his. The familiar crack of his mask breaking flooded his mind.
Meta Knight's first instinct after his face was exposed was to teleport away, but he couldn't fold and wrap his wings to teleport, so he just resorted to quickly covering his face with his good one.
"Ah, what do I do now?" he heard Six say, sounding nervous and even shy, which he found very strange. Meta Knight brushed his wing away to see what was wrong with Six.
The Eternal was looking at the fragments of his mask with an anguished expression on his face. He was acting like a completely different person. His appearance was youthful, though he looked older than Esser and Quatre, and his grey eyes were full of nervousness.
"Don't look at me, please!" the Eternal asked, timidly. But then he noticed that Meta Knight had covered himself with his wingonce again when he noticed that the Eternal had turned towards him. "Eh?" he said, very confused.
In the end, they had to agree with Quatre: they were too much alike.
"This was a bad idea," Six muttered, nervously glancing away.
Meta Knight summoned two masks from his pocket dimension and gave one to Six. They both covered their faces again.
"We won't talk about this," they promised each other.
"It's definitely not what I expected him to be without his mask," they both thought at the same time.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a person clapping and footsteps entering the clearing.
"Bravo, that was a fantastic fight...even though both of you were clearly holding back."
Meta Knight tensed as soon as he heard that unknown voice, Six's calmness being the only thing that had prevented him from launching himself at the newcomer: a blond human with green eyes and a smug grin on his face that was crying out for someone to punch it. He dressed the same as Six, Esser and Quatre, except that his armour was closed at the rear.
"What are you doing here, Siete?" Six asked calmly but with a slightly irritated tone. It seemed that now that he had his mask back on, he was behaving like his usual self again.
"Can't I just come to pay a visit to my dear companions because I feel like it?" the human replied. "Nice mask, by the way: it gives you a chivalrous touch," he added, playfully praising Six, who groaned in response.
"So, this is the leader of the Eternals?" Meta Knight pondered. He felt disappointed. Siete gave off a way too carefree and smug aura. Six, for his part, glared at his leader through the mask, not believing his words.
"Okay, okay: I came because last night I had a nightmare in which... Well, my plan to catch the Magasin Mafia Family didn't work out and Stardust Town was destroyed," Siete confessed. For a brief moment, a fleeting shadow of regret and sadness crossed his face. But it quickly vanished, with the leader of the Eternals recovering his usual smug smile. "It was realistic enough to make me feel a little sentimental, so I decided to come and see for myself that everything is fine around here," Siete continued. Then he turned to Meta Knight and inquired: "who is your friend? By your sparring with him before, I have the feeling that he is a great warrior."
Six quickly filled Siete in on who Meta Knight was, the source of the nightmares, and how far the problem could go.
"Oh, so you fought against Lu Woh," Siete commented casually. "Lucky you. The damn dragon backed away when I tried to confront him after he attacked Gran and Djeeta."
Meta Knight felt stunned and even a little angry. His fight against the dragon was not important! How could this so-called "strongest swordsman" be so carefree after the existence of a creature like Nightmare had been revealed to him?! The knight began to stroll towards the village, not wanting to spend any more time in Siete's company.
"Nice sword. Can I take a closer look?" Siete asked as he followed Meta Knight, his gaze fixed on Galaxia.
"No, you can't," the knight replied curtly, sensing that Siete was up to something. "I don't know what you're planning, but keep your hands away from my sword," he threatened, turning towards the human.
"Aww, what a shame. It would have fit perfectly in my collection," Siete said, feigning sorrow.
"Siete is capable of creating spiritual swords," Six quickly explained, to prevent Meta Knight from assuming that his leader intended to steal the knight's sword. "They are replicas of magical nature of real swords."
"One copy of Galaxia in the universe is enough," Meta Knight replied, annoyed, as he walked forwards again.
"It's a legendary weapon, am I right? What kind of powers does it have? Where did you find it? Are you some kind of chosen one, and that is why only you can wield it?" Siete asked excitedly as he followed the puffball. "If you won't let me clone it, at the very least tell me more about it!" he pleaded.
"You should worry more about Nightmare and less about my sword," Meta Knight reprimanded him.
"There is nothing to worry about. With Gran, Djeeta and I on the case, I can guarantee you that this Nightmare guy's days are numbered," Siete laughed confidently.
"What do you mean?"
Siete adopted a haughty stance, his smug expression lingering onhis face.
"I'm not going to sit idly by. We are going to form a team that would make even the Astrals tremble," he proclaimed, inviting himself to the adventure.
"For Novas' sake... I can't stand this clown and now I'm stuck with him," Meta Knight cursed to himself. What had begun as enthusiasm for meeting the greatest warriors of that world, had become a feeling of deep irritation.