Away from any trace of civilization, a solitary cliff stood as a sentinel. The crisp winds swept across the cliff's edge, carrying a gentle breeze that caressed the infinite expanse of the ocean. The setting sun cast its radiant hues upon the water and sky, painting a majestic tapestry of orange and red. In the distance, a cluster of imposing arcology structures adorned the otherwise empty vista, their colossal metal pillars lifting the arcologies high above the tumultuous, thunderous ocean.
The remnants of the once glorious arcology structures stood as silent witnesses against the relentless march of time. These architectural marvels, harking back to a bygone era of prosperity and innovation, bore witness to the enduring legacy of a forgotten civilization. Though many of these colossal structures had succumbed to the relentless embrace of the ocean, their skeletal remains either partially submerged or entirely swallowed by the depths, a few defiant arcologies defied the forces of nature.
Rising defiantly from the treacherous waters, these resilient bastions of ancient ingenuity stood tall and resolute, defying the ravages of time. Their towering frames, composed of sturdy metal, reached towards the heavens as if longing to reconnect with the sky that once witnessed their glory.
Now, there was no one to witness the forgotten structures as they slowly broke away...no one, but one. Standing atop a high cliff's edge, a lonely soul laid their eyes bare to the beautiful scenery.
Meta Knight's cape fluttered in waves beneath the gentle winds, the setting sun reflecting off his shining aethereal metal mask, casting a giant shadow behind him. The Knight's eyes looked far ahead, drowning in his own deep thoughts, deeper than the bare ocean stretching out before him. How long had he been here? To be completely honest, he had forgotten. Hours? Days? Weeks?
What did matter anyway? It didn't.
It had been a while since anything mattered.
It was over. All of it...was over.
The Knight watched the sunset, trying to assess his situation. That was one of the first things he had been taught as a soldier.
Recognize, and assess the situation.
War. War was the only thing Meta Knight knew. It was his sole purpose, the relentless pursuit of battle. Fight. Fight, and keep fighting.
As a soldier in the GSA, fighting consumed his existence, leaving little room for anything else. The concept of peace, if it ever crossed his mind, had long been forgotten.
But now, something had changed. Almost as if the universe had hit a pause button, the war that had consumed his life, gave him purpose, seemed to evaporate into thin air, and a newfound peace settled upon the Galaxy.
Meta Knight's own mission, just as It began, had ended just abruptly as the war. The war, the mission, all of it completed, his purpose...erased.
Sure, he was still a soldier of the United Galactic Core, elite member of the GSA, and considered the pride of the Star Warriors...and yet...
As Meta Knight surveyed the tranquil landscape of a Galaxy at peace, a void settled within him. It was a strange emptiness, unfamiliar and disorienting.
But secretly, he knew what was missing...
The absence of conflict left him feeling adrift, like a ship without a compass. For so long, he had thrived in the chaos of battle, finding purpose and validation in the clash of swords and the rush of adrenaline.
Yet, here he stood, Galaxia sheathed beneath his cape, his armor untouched. The once-fierce warrior was faced with the quiet reality that his skills were no longer in demand. And found himself hit with a new realization so fast he had no time to prepare.
He had become...obsolete...
Who was he without the battlefield? What was his role in a world that no longer needed his fiery determination?
In this new era of peace, Meta Knight never thought that he had to fight his most fierce battle yet...identity.
Who was he?
What was his purpose?
Finding the answer was an...unexpectedly daunting task. It was a battle. A battle he needed time and quiet to prepare.
Being the renowned war hero he was, getting himself a starship from the UGC was easy enough. And so, not wanting to be disturbed or tracked down, he left without telling anybody and fled.
Meta Knight traveled wide and far without any destination in mind. He flew and flew until stumbling on the current planet he was residing on.
The Knight was uncertain about what had brought him to this planet. However, he sensed an inexplicable force drawing him towards it. It was almost as if the planet was beckoning him with tiny strings tugging at his soul, imploring him to follow.
And with nowhere to go, the Knight gave in.
What he discovered was nothing short of incredible.
Titan, a planet with little to no landmasses and an ocean covering the entirety of its globe with ravaging storms and creatures never seen before.
Meta Knight found himself utterly perplexed by the awe-inspiring and incomprehensible vastness of the ocean, which far exceeded any preconceptions he had ever held regarding its depth and complexity.
It...scared him.
But there was something that surpassed ALL of this.
Those arcology structures in the distance, still standing after all this time.
Never in his wildest dreams, Meta Knight envisioned stumbling upon a forsaken pre-galactic wartimes Nexus Prime colonial bastion of the ancients.
While the ancients were still around today, they were merely a fraction of what they were back in the golden ages.
Following a catastrophic corruption of dark matter that spread across the universe and a brutal galactic war that ensued, humanity suffered near extinction.
These events were given the name 'The galactic crisis.' An unfitting name in Meta Knight's eyes, seeing as the whole universe had suffered, not just their galaxy.
Those who survived are now tasked with the daunting challenge of piecing together their shattered world and rebuilding their former glory, which was easier said than done.
Most of the legendary technologies of the golden ages were lost in the war, and with most of the ancient's most brilliant minds dying, taking their genius with them, a shattered civilization, infrastructure, and military, rebuilding was going slow.
Upon Meta Knight's initial arrival with his starship, he was unexpectedly caught in a violent hurricane, which forced him to remain indoors for a duration of four days.
When the hurricane had finally passed, the Knight wasted no time to take the opportunity and explore this forgotten and foreign planet.
He had delved into the alien ocean, confronting himself with animals he had never witnessed in his time alive.
The variety was never-ending.
Some were beautiful and majestic, but the deeper he dived, the more twisted and horrific the creatures living in the sea became.
But what drew his curiosity the most were the abandoned Archologies afar.
While Meta Knight desperately wanted to explore those ancient ruins, a lingering sense of unease kept him from doing so.
Who knows what kind of suffering and painful memories the Knight would discover there buried beneath?
In his current state of mind, such painful history was something the Knight did not need to experience right now.
That is why he was standing on this very cliff right now, perhaps the only piece of land o the entirety of Titan.
Day after day, Meta Knight had stood and watched the sun rise and fall, all the while contemplating his thoughts.
As he observed the endless red and yellow canvas, the Knight did not experience any sense of boredom.
Quite the contrary.
To Meta Knight's utmost surprise, he was able to accept the peace and quiet most well.
An unexpectedly needed change of pace to deal with a battle raging in his own mind.
Continuing to gaze, Meta Knight couldn't help but feel a mixture of loss and relief coming with the present peaceful silence.
On the one hand, the Knight was still struggling to answer the question propping up in his mind like an insistent nagging presence.
On the other hand, Meta Knight was thankful that he had all the time in the world to overcome his troubled in such a mostly calm environment.
And Titan's far and remote location ensured that no one could disturb his alone time.
Absolutely NOTHING and NO ONE could POSSIBLY dream of having any kind of chance of finding Meta Knight's secluded-
"Yes, hello, good sir; TERRIBLY sorry for having to interrupt your inner monologue, but I happened to be looking for a senile old man who has the unfortunate habit of wandering off into uncharted territory by himself without notifying anybody of his absence. Kind of looks like an edgy blueberry if that makes sense; oh, and he wears a VASTLY inferior and much more uncooler-looking armor like mine...Happen to remind you of anybody?
...M***da.
The Knight immediately recognized that voice. There was only one individual in the entire universe capable of mocking Meta Knight in such a way and living to tell the tale.
The Knight took a deep breath before focusing his gaze on the sky in front of him.
With giant lavender wings graciously flapping, catching the ambient light in a dazzling display, and the radiant sun majestically sprawled out behind him, Galacta Knight, the legendary warrior of the stars and the Aeon Hero, hovered above. His arrival was nothing short of awe-inspiring, a scene that could be considered the epitome of an angelic entrance. The sun, positioned perfectly as a celestial backdrop, bathed Galacta Knight in a radiant halo of light. Its golden rays framed his round spherical figure.
On top of Galacta Knight's head were two resplendent but very mean-looking golden horns. His facial mask was also one of a kind, with vertical and horizontal openings, both ending in a point. What truly set Galacta Knight's armor apart, however, was shining white armor adorned with exquisite golden engravings adorning every inch. Like celestial brushstrokes on a cosmic canvas. Shining through the slits in his mask was a pair of ethereal pink eyes, radiant with a celestial glow that seemed to hold the entire expanse of the cosmos within their depths. Their piercing gaze ensnared Meta Knight's yellow eyes, drawing him in like helpless prey caught in a mesmerizing trap.
On Galacta Knight's shoulders rested a formidable pair of sharp, white pauldrons, accentuated by gilded edges and intricate golden engravings that echoed the design of his distinctive mask. In his right hand, Galacta Knight tightly gripped his renowned pink lance, a weapon as radiant as the stars themselves, adorned with celestial embellishments and intricate carvings.
Balanced in his left hand, Galacta Knight held his primary shield. The shield's predominant white surface was adorned with an inner pink circle. At the center of the circle, a golden cross stood proudly, mirroring the cross shape found on Galacta Knight's mask with the ability to cause severe damage if the cross shape ever found the mark of an opponent. Among Galacta Knight's array of formidable armor, his shield stood out as the most iconic and revered.
But Its significance had transcended its physical form. It had become a symbol of salvation and protection, a symbol etched in the memories of those who had witnessed its mighty defense. The Aeon Hero's shield, despite its role in saving many lives, had also borne witness to countless wars that have resulted in it taking just as many lives, if not more.
Galacta Knight slowly descended and stopped right in front of Meta Knight's face. Meta Knight maintained a calm expression, and both of them appeared completely unreadable as they exchanged gazes.
Meta Knight could feel it. The energy in those radiant pink eyes. This was it. The moment of truth. The moment that would shape the entire-
"Pfffff HAHAHAHAHA!"
Meta's thoughts were interrupted as he watched Galacta Knight burst into uncontrollable laughter, throwing himself back in the air. The sound of his amusement filled the air, leaving Meta blinking in surprise.
"Hahaha..."
Galacta Knight brought his hand to his face, as if wiping away a tear, still chuckling softly like a child.
"Ohhhhh man, you're killing me, old man." The warrior snickered, finally getting himself under control.
"And you still haven't matured."
"HEY! I can already count to ten all on my own, thank you very much." Galacta Knight shot back.
"A tremendous achievement indeed."Meta Knight deadpanned and shook his face, but he couldn't help but feel a smile creeping up under his mask as he noticed how challenging it was to suppress it.
Galacta let out a soft laugh. "May I?" The Aeon Hero pointed at the narrow clifftop Meta Knight was standing on.
Meta stepped aside, making room for one more person to stand on the cramped clifftop. Galacta gracefully floated beside the knight, touching the ground with elegance and folding back their large lavender wings to avoid taking up more space.
They stood still on the edge of the cliff, taking in the majestic view in front of them. The waves crashed against the rocks beneath, creating a soothing background melody. A gentle breeze swept through the air, carrying with it a refreshing and invigorating scent. Galacta savored every moment of the serene atmosphere, reveling in the rare purity of the air and the feeling of peace that it brought with. A sense of peace Galacta had fellt since...well, it had been a while... The silence, the stillness, all of it seemed perfect at the moment.
Galacta Knight eagerly reached for the clasps on his mask, wanting to fully experience the moment. Meta Knight watched as the Aeon Hero carefully removed the mask and laid it down beside him, feeling the cool breeze brush against his face as it came off. His pink eyes were even more radiant when they were not concealed behind a mask. As the cool wind brushed against him, the galactic warrior relaxingly smiled and closed his eyes before taking the deepest breath possible.
"It's breathtaking, isn't it?" Meta Knight finally broke the silence.
"It really is." Galacta Knight answered.
Meta Knight turned to face Galacta. "How did you find me?"
The Knight immediately noticed the temporal warrior tensing up, before putting his mask on again. Meta Knight squinted his eyes.
"If I tell you, do you promise you won't get mad at me?"
"No."
"Damnit!" Galacta nervously shifted his gaze away before answering, "Sooooo...I might or might not have hidden a... Do I have to tell?"
"Yes."
Meta watched as the magenta warrior mumbled something to himself as his lavender wings nervously twitched before bringing up the courage to speak again.
"I...I might have hidden a tracker inside your dimensional cape."
"...You did what?" Meta Knight growled.
"You heard me!" Galacta Knight defensively retorted. "And looks like I was right in doing so." He added, tho speaking the last part very silently.
Meta Knight gave him an irate look and started rummaging through his dimensional cape. The gust of wind constantly flapping the cape made it difficult to find what he was looking for, but eventually, after a brief search, Meta felt a small metallic item graze his hand. Taking it out the knight now looked at a small and round red blinking tracker, before proceeding to angrily crush it in his hand.
Meta shifted his gaze to the Aeon Hero, who was doing his best to avoid the intense stare of the knight. Instead, he nervously whistled as the sun set in the distance. After some time had passed, Galacta cautiously attempted a quick sideways glance, but quickly withdrew upon realizing that Meta was still glaring at him with anger. However, it didn't take long for him to feel discomfort under the intense gaze of the knight, as if the eyes were burning through his skin.
"Awwwww come on!" Aeon frustratedly threw his hand up in the air and turned to face the knight. "I mean, what was I supposed to do!? Do nothing and watch as you continue with your self-destructive behavior!?"
"I wasn't-"
"Shut up! It's the truth, and you and I both know it!"
The knight tried his best to disregard the first part and focus more on the second. "Elaborate." Meta Knight cautiously requested.
It seemed like his request had flipped a switch inside because as he began to speak, Aeon sounded quite agitated. "Elaborate? What even is there to elaborate on? I've noticed it begin a few years ago. Ever since it became more evident that the war with the Nebualn Empire was about to end, I've seen it."
"See what, Aeon?"
"YOUR WISH TO DIE!" Galacta Knight burst out, shouting in anger with a brief flash of crimson red in his eyes. However, Meta Knight remained composed despite the grave accusation. "I've seen it...all those years ago. When we broke through the Nebulan's primary defenses in the Orion sector, it pretty much became clear that that marked the beginning of the end of their empire. And so, we began to fight more fiercely. You began to go on more and more missions. At first, I thought nothing of it. After all, you never were the best at self-preservation. But...the closer we came to the war's end, the more your actions began to spiral out of control."
Meta Knight did not move an inch only continuing to listen closely as Galacta Knight continued.
"More and more missions, less and less sleeping, eating, or any kind of rest for that matter. It got to a point where you would come back from a battle and refuse any kind of medical treatment, instead asking Lord Arthur to immediately assign you to another mission. Even after you lost your wings in the battle of Aridious, we had to physically restrain you so you could get the proper medical assistance and rest you needed to recover."
As Aeon continued to talk, Meta Knight noticed his shift in tone from frustrated to desperate, guilty even.
"I noticed something was off. I tried talking to you, but you just began to shut yourself off more and more. Not Joe, not Sirica, not Percival, not even I could get through to you. At that time none of us knew what was up until one day it just made click in me. I can't believe it took me so long to realize what you were trying to do..."
Galacta Knight couldn't bring himself to look Meta in the eyes while finishing his sentence, so he averted his gaze back to the horizon.
"I can't believe it took me so long to realize...that you were trying to die..."
A cold wind passed them as the temporal warrior finished his sentence. Meta Knight stood; his expression once again unreadable. Again, the two just looked into the horizon, before Meta Knight spoke up once more.
"Many years ago, even prior to our meeting, I had a clear understanding of my individual role," spoke Meta Knight out of the blue, catching Galacta's attention and causing him to face the knight.
"I was a soldier, plain and simple. People gave me a task, and I would complete it one way or another. It had always been that way. From my servitude under Holy Nightmare at the beginning all the way to the UGC, GSA, and finally, to the Star Warriors, I had always been a soldier. That was my purpose. Fight, kill repeat. I never had to ask myself what my role was, because it was defined clear as day. Privat connections were of no concern to me. I did not have family, nor anyone I could call a friend. It made things simple. It allowed me to dive headfirst into any danger that presented itself without thinking of the consequences of what would happen if I died. After all, there was no one waiting for me back at HQ."
Before Meta Knight continued, Aeon noticed that his eyes had changed from their usual yellow to a tint of deep blue hue.
"But that all changed, when I first met them."
Galacta curiously eyed Meta Knight. It was rare that the knight opened up like this, if ever "You mean Jecra and Garlude, right?" Aeon carefully asked.
For a brief moment, silence lingered between them as the sun continued its descent, casting a warm glow over their surroundings. Memories of bygone days resurfaced in Meta Knight's mind, memories of cherished friends, and memories of those...left behind.
"Yes, in the beginning... there were two. Jecra and Garlude," Meta Knight began, his voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia. "I can't quite fathom why, but for some reason, they thought it would be a good idea to try and breach the defenses of the then-named 'Lone Swordsman.' I never understood why. Despite my attempts to distance myself and the harshness I directed towards them, they persisted unwaveringly. Jecra, in particular, seemed to take it upon himself to test my patience at every turn!" Meta Knight's frustration echoed in his grow. Galacta, however, could discern the underlying affection beneath his words.
"And Garlude..." The Aeon Hero watched as Meta Knight's eyes changed from a deep blue hue to an intense shade of purple. Galacta Knight had never witnessed the knight's eyes shift to that specific hue during his lifetime.
"You never spoke much about them." The knight seldom delved into his past with Aeon, not due to a lack of trust, but rather because those memories held deep pain that Meta Knight would give almost anything to forget. However, in this rare moment of opening up, the temporal warrior seized the opportunity and softly inquired, "Was...was she... special?"
As Galacta asked the question, it fellt like the entirety of Titan paused to hear the answer to the warrior's question. The winds died down; the oceans became silent, only the sound of Meta and Galcta's calm breaths remaining as Meta Knight's now again deep blue, and Galacta Knight's radiant pink eyes locked onto each other.
Galacta Knight cussed inwards. That question definitely went too far. Why did he even do that? With a guilty mind, he quickly broke off and averted his gaze to the horizon. "Sorry, I shouldn't have-"
"She was." Meta Knight answered. Galacta Knight turned his body back to Meta Knight in surprise. When he continued to speak, his voice was filled with reminiscences and guilt. "She was the most courageous, smart, and beautiful-looking woman I have ever met in my life." He mused. "She, much like Jecra, also made it her personal mission to bother me whenever possible. Those two did everything in their power to make sure I would never have any sort of private time ever again."
Aeon couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Remind you of someone?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Meta Knight deadpanned. "They would drag me any kind of shenanigans they were up to. Jecra would drag me to parties among the GSA and Star Warriors, though I always suspected that that was just a pretense to attend more parties and completely waste himself. He would also come up with unnecessarily convoluted plans that should be way beyond his intelligence limit to lure me into ambushes that he had set up only to jump me, pull me into his notorious inescapable bear hugs, and drag me into the sleeping quarters, lying down and refusing to let me go until I had no choice but to fall asleep."
Galacta Knight couldn't help but break into laughter as he heard the knight's story. "That's awesome! That's so awesome. I wish I could have met him."
"Somewhere, in the infinite realm of possibilities, that exact outcome takes place, and I dread that reality." Meta Knight drily states, yet his eyes briefly flash a bright yet light blue, before changing to their neutral yellow.
Aeon snickered. "Well, what about Garlude?" He curiously asked.
"Most of the time she and Jecra were a two-in-one package, tho she was much more serious than he was, much more composed and rational always having control over her emotions...most of the time. But sometimes she would come to me alone. Mostly when I was tasked with watch duty or simply going for a walk at night. We would just spend time together, talk and go on walks. She was one of the few people who I could completely open up with. There were times when we would talk about certain topics back and forth for hours. She was the only one I could just sit side by side for hours, not say a word, and still enjoy her company."
Right at this point Meta Knight would be expecting a joke or ironic comment from Aeon, but the temporal warrior just looked at him with compassionate eyes.
"Looks like you two understood each other really well. She sounded like just the right person for you to spend time with."
Meta noticed the cautious tone in Aeon's voice. At this point, the knight was sure he knew. "Your right." He simply answered.
Once again, their eyes locked in the moment, before Galacta spoke. "You don't have to tell me, Meta."
"I think I do Galacta...I've never realized how much I needed to get all of this...out of me." He silently admitted.
Galacta slowly nodded. "Ok. If that's what you want, I'm here to listen."
"Thank you." The knight his voice decked with a subtle tone of appreciation.
"About Garlude," The warrior suddenly spoke up. "The way you have talked about her...did it ever become more than just friends."
Meta Knight felt his body tense up a bit, his heart beating faster, wrapping his cape around himself, but answered nonetheless. "It did." He firmly stated.
The warrior remained still, with an unreadable expression, while the moment seemed to stretch on endlessly. Eventually, Galacta asked the only logical question that came to mind at this moment,
"Would that mean, that Sirica is..."Aeon hesitated and trailed off, unsure if it would be appropriate to ask the question at hand.
"Yes, she is." Meta Knight said as calmly as possible. "And no, she doesn't know, and I would like for you to keep it that way."
"Oh...ok," Aeon mumbled and looked away uneasy, not sure what to think or do with that information.
"I have my reasons, Galacta." Meta explained, sensing his hesitation.
"Wait a second, is that why you got so mad when it came out Joe and Sirica were caught making-"
"The reason I'm telling you all of this is because I want you to understand something. For most of my life, I was a lone wolf. I had no concerns, no obligations except to Lord Arthur and the Ancients. But all of that changed. Suddenly there were people caring for me, waiting for me to get back home after every battle. I was finding new joys in life and even got into the hobby of reading, thanks to Garlude. I started forming new bonds and attachments, like Percival, Aurora...and you. And then something happened that I never accounted for...I never accounted on being happy. And now the thought of dying...scared me..."
Galacta was taken aback when Meta Knight spoke his final words, as he sounded genuinely scared.
"But as time passed by, the people around me gradually vanished. Little by little, everyone I had cared about passed. With each passing day, I watched before my very eyes as the faces that brought me joy and comfort became mere memories." Meta Knight seethingly spoke out, clenching his fists. Kirby could hear the silent agony in his heavy voice. "Garlude, Jecra, Aurora, Zyra'karn, and so many more. That was around the time, I also lost...you. No matter how hard I tried, nothing I did stopped the ones I loved from dying. Everyone passed...but I lived. I came close to death more times than I could count, but her embrace never fully closed on me. It wasn't long before I felt alone again. Although this time...I didn't want to be alone."
Galacta was deeply troubled by what he felt, as if something had shattered inside his soul. He had spoken with Meta many times in the past, and they had faced all kinds of situations together. But never before had he heard the legendary knight sound so lost and helpless in Galacta's life. He could only listen as Meta Knight continued.
"The little illusion of life that I had built crumbled before my very eyes. The few of my friends, remaining like Percival, I pushed away, hoping to ease the pain. The questions bottled up in my head. Is this punishment? What did I do? Why did they leave me? Why am I the only one to remain out of everyone else? I didn't understand, so I clung to the only thing that remained to me once more. War. And for a long time, that was all there was to it in my life,"
Meta Knight turned his body towards Aeon, locking his gaze with a determined yet vulnerable expression. He struggled to maintain composure as a flood of memories resurfaced. His voice was low and steady, but there was an underlying fragility, as if he was teetering on the edge of emotional breakdown. The weight of his past burdened his shoulders, and he clenched his eyes shut, fighting back the tears threatening to escape. The words spilled out with a mix of desperation and determination; his voice filled with the raw intensity. "Now that we're here, on the brink of victory...it feels too perfect, too familiar. It feels like those times before everything shattered...before I lost everyone, I held dear. I can't bear to go through that pain again. I refuse to endure the same heartache once more. I'd rather face death than relive those agonizing events from years ago."
After speaking his heartfelt words, with a heavy sigh, Meta Knight slowly turned his gaze away from Aeon. He lowered his head slightly, no longer being able to gaze upon the radiant pink eyes of the temporal warrior, knowing that he had basically admitted to what the legendary warrior had accused him of. Of how selfish and cowardly his wish for oblivion was. But it was the truth. He should have died in those battles, and his friends should have lived. Joe could have had a father to grow up with. Sirica could have had a mother she could be proud of and not a father to scared to tell the truth.
So much could be different. So much could be better if he had just DIED.
"If it had been me instead of them, things could have been better,"
At this point, Meta couldn't do it anymore. His memories, his emotions, all of them were starting to weigh far too heavy on his mind, dulling his senses.
"But instead, I remain. A shattered soldier, burdened with guilt and regret, my service to society no longer required. A soldier, without purpose..." He spoke with a low voice, laced with a tinge of shame, not daring to look up from the ground.
Meta Knight's thoughts were in turmoil as his gaze fixated on the vast expanse of the ocean, his eyes tracing the outlines of the fallen arcologies against the backdrop of the setting sun. At that moment, he couldn't help but question his own fate. Was he destined to wither away, a forgotten relic like the crumbling structures before him? Would his memory fade, much like the sun sinking into the distant horizon, never to rise again?
"Actions speak louder than words." Meta Knight's eyes widened, and his blood froze as he heard Galacta Knight speak those words. The tone in his voice sent chills down his spine. It was unlike anything he had ever heard from him before. There was a certain calmness and seriousness to his delivery that made his heart skip a beat.
Meta Knight observed as the warrior took a step forward in his silver and golden-laced sabatons. He stepped over the cliff edge and onto the empty air. Instead of falling to the merciless ocean below, his majestic lavender angelic wings spread wide, catching the gentle air beneath them.
As Galacta Knight ascended, his imposing figure towering at the center of the radiant sun, its golden rays enveloped him, casting a mesmerizing glow upon his silhouette.
With every flap of the temporal warrior's wings, the entirety of Titan seemed to shake beneath their might. Wings strong enough to break multiple planets with a single flap. Meta Knight should know. He had seen it.
He watched as Galacta hovered just above him, and slowly extended his gloved hand toward the knight.
Meta Knight let his eyes wander to the Aeon Hero's hand, before returning them back to his eyes.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to fly with me."
"Fly where?"
"Fly with me, beyond the pain."