Sailing through the air on a set of powerful, black leather wings, Meta Knight climbed high into the clouds where the entirety of Dreamland could be seen. Especially the icy pockmark jutting from the plains. Precisely where Claihd had fled and where his men should be. The wind bit Meta Knight as he flew over the Whispy Woods. Uncharacteristically cold for the forest and plains. Most likely because of the glacier's creator. It wouldn't be much longer for him to reach the ice; his wing beats carried him swiftly to the scene of the massacre.
Red stained the grass and snow, visible before he even reached the ground. Meta Knight had been through his fair share of wars, but this sight was unlike anything he had encountered before. His fellow men were stuck on spires. Ice lanced through their torsos and out of their throats. Tearing through the once great soldiers and presenting their viscera to the heavens. Cold, blue ice, tainted with their blood. Weapons scattered and broken far from their bodies.
Meta Knight hadn't breathed since landing. He stood in shock, eyes wide as he stared at the carnage around him. An unsteady hand reached for the hilt of his sword. His legs were stiff and hesitant as he shakily wandered between the spires to the center of the battle field.
Lann laid in a messy pile. His arm was severed and frost burnt, ice climbing his pallid throat, eyes lifeless. Meta Knight averted his eyes quickly. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. This Knight, this monster, brought an incredible danger to the Dreamland Kingdom. Meta Knight couldn't let that stand.
"About time you showed up."
Meta Knight spun around and drew Galaxia, his golden sword, from his hip. The Knight with the harlequin mask stood across the battlefield from him. Their sword dripped with the fresh blood of their final kill. The mask grinned unnervingly at him, the violet lights illuminating its eyes focused on him, unmoving.
"Who are you?" Meta demanded, pointing the gilded tip of his serrated sword at the approaching evil. A scoff came from them as they stepped slowly closer and closer.
"I suppose I oughta name myself like the other Knights do. Let's see," they flicked their sword, casting the droplets of blood across their legs and where they walked, "Call me Arcta Knight. Is that fitting? For a woman like me?" Meta squinted at her. A foreboding wind blew through the field, picking up both of their capes and fluttering them to the side of the soldiers. He felt something odd about her voice, as if he had heard it somewhere years ago. Arcta tapped her blade against Galaxia and tilted her head at its owner. They stood, swords directed at each other's throats, frozen for a long time. The harlequin grinning sardonically at Meta's expressionless helmet. Meta awaited her first move, but she wasn't budging. She knew better than to strike before he did. She knew a lot about the pure Knight of Dreamland.
"Why would you do this?" Meta asked through gritted teeth. She was quiet for a moment.
"I'm following my orders." She said, a bite in her tone. The leather of her gauntlet creaked as she tightened her grip on her hilt. The tensing in her shoulder and the shifting of the weight in her legs signaled to Meta that she was about to move.
"Who do you work for?" He grimaced behind his mask. Meta outranked her speed easily. She knew that. Her violet eyes uncomfortably pierced his during their standstill, causing a shudder of disgust from Meta.
"Someone who is tired of your king's failures and ventured to new horizons. I wonder if Dedede got the news by now? Hehe, you think he'd notice the radio silence and the culling of his guard." Arcta seemed to enjoy confusing Meta. Her lilting teasing of his liege jabbed at his patience. Why wouldn't she make a move already?
"Enough stalling. If you're going to attack Dreamland you might as well strike me now." He tightened himself, bolstering his defense and springing his wings from his dark blue cape. He flexed them slowly, preparing to take off as soon as he might need to. Arcta glanced at them and sheathed her sword, turning from the more adept swordsman. It would be foolish to challenge him in her current state.
"My Lord is calling to me… so I will have to save that challenge for another time. I look forward to crossing swords with you. Maybe you'll remember by then." Arcta walked away, a wall of ice blocking any pursuit as she vanished into the woods. Meta was flabbergasted. Several things weren't lining up correctly. He flew over the wall of ice and landed on the other side in the trees but there was no trace of the harlequin anywhere. She didn't fly off, there wasn't a trace, she just vanished. No matter. He had more important matters to attend to. He had to warn Dedede of the danger targeting Dreamland.