I wish I could be with you. I wish I could be.

There were a great many times where the Blade of Dark Matter regretted his decisions. But it was times like this that he wished that… he left the Dark Core with Gooey all those years ago. If that happened, he wouldn't have to live vicariously through the king just to spend time with his young sibling.

Many of the Star Allies were out on a little trip to the beach, not as any official scouting or mission, but purely to enjoy a nice summer day as friends. Most of the children were splashing around in the ocean, Susie, Magolor, Marx, and Taranza (or 'the crazy ones' as Blade liked to call them) were currently attempting to bury each other alive in the sand, and most of the other adults were either sunbathing or trying to hide away under the umbrellas. Every time he got the chance, Blade would try to stretch his view of Dedede's peripheral vision to see Gooey.

No… he didn't… care. This was all to see if the child was capable of truly growing into his own as a Dark Matter.

Oh, what did it matter if he lied to himself or not? He'd never escape the king's heart, so why was he even pretending that he didn't want to be friends with his sibling? He… he wasted what little time he had with Gooey during their life in the Dark Core. If only he had tried harder, if only he took better care of him, they'd still be together back at home, instead of stranded on this Novaforsaken planet. Severed from Lord Zero. Severed from each other. Yes, his failure was even farther back than he thought. He should have been a better sibling. Then they'd be happy together. No- No, they wouldn't even NEED to feel happiness. Because they'd be perfect warriors for Lord Zero, together.

But now they were both ruined. And he couldn't even relish in that ruination with him. Because he was a failure in every regard. All he could do was wait and hope that Gooey would spend time with the king, so he could pretend it was him. Like a reverse possession, or something…

At a few points in the outing, Gooey would wander over to Dedede, and Blade relished in the interactions as much as he could. When the king petted Gooey's head, and the boy gurgled and swiped at him with his oversized sleeves, and the two laughed at each other… Blade could close his eye and imagine… it was him. He was him. He could let himself disappear, evaporating into the king's perspective and becoming something that Gooey could be friends with.

But then he'd be forcibly snapped back to reality with a whiplash that cracked his skull open. If he had one. Because he wasn't Dedede. He'd never be him. And he wasn't his own person either. He'd never get what he wanted. He never did. Ever. Ever. Ever. And he shouldn't anyway. A ripping between the desire to feel love and the knowledge that he morally shouldn't have it. To know what you're doing is wrong.

How dare he know the difference between right and wrong? If only he could have accepted that what he did was right. If only he could be like his siblings and accept his sins as virtues. But instead, as an anomaly under Zero's watchful, praising eye, his empty shell of a body grew a heart. If only that hadn't happened. If he didn't have a heart, he wouldn't have loathed his little sibling for being thrust upon him at such a young age. He would have been able to follow Zero's orders and raise him perfectly. If he didn't have a heart, he would have killed his sibling when he was ordered, and he'd never come in contact with Pop Star without reinforcements. If he didn't have a heart, he wouldn't have lost his cool during his battle with Kirby, and he would have been able to effortlessly execute them. And failing that, he would have accepted his defeat with grace, knowing that he did his best and could die serving Lord Zero as perfectly as possible.

Instead, he'd done everything wrong, both good and bad. He was a failure as a spirit of evil. And he was a failure as a person of good. How could he possibly wish for love when he was like this? That's not how it's supposed to go.

That's not real, none of this is real, that's not how it goes.

Meta Knight had been sure to inform his crew that night that he would be out on important business for the next coming days, so he may be absent for a few things. However, of course he'd make it to all their required meetings, since he knew when those were every week and could plan around them. As long as nothing untoward were to occur, it would all be fine. And of course his crew were understanding. This was just something he did every now and then, disappearing on random adventures and coming back a few days or weeks later. They'd learned better than to question him about his odd behaviors, though Vul still ribbed him for such short notice.

So that was everyone dealt with…

He arrived early the next morning, waiting outside the window until at least one of them was awake before knocking. He did not participate in breakfast, but simply observed quietly, chiming in whenever he was spoken to but never interrupting the conversation. Even if he was internally screaming over the fact that they were having pure ice cream for their meal. After they finished cleaning up, he asked what they normally did with the Matter on days where they didn't leave the house.

"Uhhhhh…" Kirby's gaze raised to the ceiling. "We yuzu-ly just hang out… Swordguy likes to read. Right, Right?" They looked back at the Matterborn, who was still putting his carton in the trash. He shot Meta Knight a nervous look before formulating his thoughts carefully.

'...Yes. I do… attempt to enjoy reading…' Blade wanted to be sure that he told the exact truth, or as close as he possibly could, around the knight. He didn't want to risk him misinterpreting anything about himself. And… he didn't want to risk him accidentally… sympathizing with him.

So he couldn't say that he enjoyed reading. Because he could only attempt to enjoy it.

"Interesting. Where did you learn to read?"

Blade froze, focusing on keeping his expression neutral. 'Lord… My creator…'

Gooey quirked an eyebrow. "Really? Didn't know did that?"

'Yes, because he was not interested in teaching an anomaly like you,' he barely managed to grit out. It was not a lie, per se. But he still felt bad saying it. Gooey's face fell a little.

"Oh… Sibling anomaly too?"

'I was skilled and lucky enough to earn Lord Zero's love.' A second too late, he realized what he said. 'Approval, rather. Zero- our creator would not feel something like love towards things like us.'

Meta Knight narrowed his eyes, glaring at Blade. "Well, it is a shame that he held such a view. Now, what are you reading, Dark Matter?"

'Anything that interests me… I have taken a glance at a few of the books Kirby has. But I haven't gotten very far in any of them.'

The three inhabitants fell into their normal routine. Or as well as they could when being watched. But Blade found it a bit easier to ignore the knight's scrutinizing glare if he buried himself in his reading. Though it was still difficult for him to parse the characters on the page, he could at least put the pieces together. This book was a particularly difficult one, about the history of Dreamland and its founding. Apparently it was created by voidborns. Not surprising, honestly.

Later in the day, Meta Knight requested that Dark Matter Blade accompany him in the kitchen so they could 'discuss' some things. Though it was more of an interrogation than anything. If Meta was forced to play these children's games, he would at least get some information out of it.

The man slammed a small notepad on the table and ordered Blade to take a seat, although he notably did not.

"How recently did you return."

Blade counted on his fingers. 'I believe it was… about six or seven days ago… It was night when I returned, so I don't know exactly what day it was.'

Interesting response. "And how did you return, exactly?"

'...'

"Answer the question."

'...'

"I am willing to wait however long is necessary."

'I can only describe how I returned as…..' The Matterborn scratched lightly at the table, as if it needed ripping open. '...a miracle.'

"Hm. That is a very interesting choice of words, creature." Meta Knight leaned back, muttering something under his breath in the voidborn tongue. "...kiseki….." He scribbled something down on the notepad before asking, "What do you know about Floralia?"

Blade couldn't hide his confusion. 'Eh..? Not much at all…' Technically that was true. He had deliberately avoided paying attention during much of Dedede's interactions with Taranza, although anything that he DID know, he could pass off as being told to him by Kirby. To be safe… 'I've heard a few things about the Dreamstalk and the royal advisor, but that's about it.'

"I see…" Meta Knight wrote down a few more things. "Now, if you refuse to tell me exactly how you returned, tell me one thing: is it possible for more like you to return."

'To my knowledge, no. As far as I am aware, I am the only person- I am the only Dark Matter of my constitution that still exists in this galaxy.'

"What do you mean 'of your constitution?'"

'I am certain that there are still a few stray Dark Matters born of 02, and I know He is still alive. But… he is not here… I'm almost certain he's abandoned this galaxy…. And abandoned me.'

Meta wrote down a few more things, but then paused. He nearly dropped his pen as he rushed over to Blade. "What do you mean he's still alive?! I thought-"

'He chose to live.'

"That doesn't answer my question! How could he possibly have survived what Kirby did to him!"

'You weren't there… what makes you so sure?'

Meta was about to ask how he knew he wasn't there, but quickly brushed it aside. That wasn't important; Kirby probably told him anyway. But how could this creature so easily say that his master was still alive, and not elaborate?

"I cannot think of many things that have survived true battles with Kirby without suffering severe consequences to their souls."

'Well, that is what happened to 02 as well. That is probably why he left. He doesn't want anything to do with this world, I'm sure… he probably finds it not worth his efforts anymore…'

Ah, he wasn't just talking about the galaxy, was he? Meta narrowed his eyes. "And do you miss him? Do you wish he were still here? Or do you wish you could have gone with him?"

'...'

"Answer."

'...I'm…..not… supposed to miss him….'

"But you do, don't you. Your loyalties are split, are they not?"

'It doesn't matter if they are…. He won't want me. And I can't have him…. So I can live in this world regardless of how much I miss him…. Though I know I shouldn't.'

Meta Knight huffed a low sigh and picked up his notepad. "Well, at least you are capable of acknowledging that. Perhaps you aren't completely far gone."

'No! I am!'

Meta spun to face him, baffled by the desperation forced upon him. "Excuse me?"

'You are lying if you say such things. You know you are!' Blade jerked out of his seat and rushed over to the knight, looming over him as he spoke. 'You don't believe it yourself, do you? Do you? No, you can't. You know you can't. Already, you are giving in to sentiment merely due to the desperate naiveties of two children. I can't believe something like you- I trusted that you would be smarter than this, dear knight. But this is pathetic.'

Meta Knight shoved the Dark Matter away, breathing heavily. He could still feel the lingering sensation of hatred and mockery swirling around in his skull. What the hell..? What the hell was that?!

"What is wrong with you?"

'I am knocking some sense into your weak minded little skull, knight. I thought you would APPRECIATE something like that~' Blade drew upon that small kernel of contempt and mockery he felt, and amplified it, forcing it into his thoughts. 'Isn't that something 'good people' are supposed to do? Aren't I supposed to be keeping my ~friends~ on the straight and narrow?'

Meta Knight grit his teeth. Where was this coming from? He had been quite meek and civil until a moment ago, but as if he flipped a switch, his whole demeanor completely changed! Which one was he supposed to take as the 'true' Dark Matter, if either of them? No, this was just the first day. There was no need to panic. This was likely just an intimidation tactic. The knight forced himself to calm down, speaking with an even tone.

"Your erratic behavior is not winning you any favors. Whatever you are trying to accomplish, it will not work."

'You say that as if it hasn't already…' Blade goaded. Unfortunately, Meta Knight did not react. Instead, he simply picked up his notepad and pen and stuffed it in his cape.

"I believe that will be all for today. We will continue this discussion tomorrow."

After the knight left, Blade groaned and slumped over the table. He'd never get what he wanted at this rate… especially considering he couldn't even DECIDE what he wanted. As much as he was starting to enjoy being alive, having his young sibling and his friend by his side… he knew he shouldn't. But he couldn't bring himself to throw it all away. The only option left was to hope Meta Knight killed him.

That was too close. The knight almost thought he was something salvageable. He'd have to change his tactics…

...

The rest of the day was largely uneventful, save for the time Meta had to take a call. Things were quiet, and Kirby and Gooey's hopes were high that it would stay that way. If everything went well, they'd convince Meta Knight of Blade's goodness in no time!

Meta had to take a quick leave after dinner to pop by the castle to give his typical report and check in on the king. Taranza didn't interrogate him much this time either.

"Anything to report, sir?"

"Nothing of note."

And when he checked in on Dedede…

"Heya Meta! That little project of yours goin' smoothly?"

"Mhm."

The king hesitated for a moment. "...You sure? You look a bit tired. You really don't gotta push yourself if-"

"It's being dealt with."

"...And you can't talk to me about it?"

"Not yet," he replied shortly. Dedede flinched slightly at his clipped tone. Jeez… Well, he probably just wasn't gettin' enough sleep. That's why he was so crabby. Nova knows that's how he got…

"If you say so… So, whatcha here for?"

"I'm just making sure everything's going well on your end." His clinical response felt dry on his tongue.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's goin' fine over here."

"Excellent. If that's the case, then I'll be heading out. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Uh-huh. See you tomorrow…"

He just wished… he could help him.

"What was the first thing you did upon your return to Dreamland?"

'I searched for Gooey. I… overheard a few things that led me to believe that he lived with Kirby. So I knew I had to find them as well.'

"You did so in spite of the fact that they had previously killed you?"

'I considered it worth the risk.'

"What was worth the risk? Why was your first instinct to seek out your brother?"

'Sibling. And I was banking on the fact that he would be foolish and saccharine enough to take me in when no one else would. If he was able to successfully convince Kirby, then I would have eliminated my largest threat under extraneous means.'

"So you did not choose to attack them?"

Blade hesitated, wondering how much he should tell… Would it lower Meta Knight's worries if he knew he was weaker? Or would he take that as an opportunity to get rid of him? Hmmm…

'At the time… I was too weak to attack, having just been revived.'

"Is that still the case now?"

'...I cannot say.'

"Can't or won't?"

'...'

"I see." Meta wrote down a few more notes. He would glean more information about the Matter's motives next time, but for now, he had a more pressing question. Not something that was immediately relevant, but could be useful in the future.

"What can you tell me about Zero?"

Dark Matter visibly jolted. A rarity, considering how cagey he could be with his facial expressions. Meta made sure to notate it.

'What do you wish to know?'

Hmm… He supposed it wouldn't do to be too pushy. He may clam up or completely flip his switch like he did yesterday. "Tell me what you think of him. How you feel about him. In the best way you can."

'...Why do you want to know this?'

"I'm curious. I doubt you'll be able to give me the most intricate knowledge of all his weaknesses and strengths and history, so I wish to glean what I CAN from you."

Blade averted his gaze for a moment, then lay down against the table. As if trying to collect his thoughts in a physical space, he began crushing his fists together.

'Lord Zero… is… WAS our creator. I would call him beloved, but we are not capable of feeling love. And neither is he. But he wishes the best for us regardless. That is what makes him so ideal as a leader. Everything he ever did, he did for us, whether we understood it or not. And when I say us, I mean us as One. As One Dark Matter Mind. If one of Us was not conducive to Our survival, he would graciously remove the anomaly, like a doctor would remove a tumor. Because he only wished the best for Us.'

Meta Knight cringed. He knew he wouldn't be able to deprogram whatever this creature had been taught, especially not in one conversation. So he resisted the urge to argue back. But that didn't stop him from wanting to groan in frustration. How could Dark Matter say all those things with a straight face and not see the problem with it? Well, evidently he did, if yesterday's conversation was anything to go by. He apparently understood that it was wrong of him to want to be with his master. Though… maybe that was only because the children had told him so. He knew that his 'friends' didn't like Zero, therefore he was not supposed to like Zero. Not for any particular ethical reason, but because it was what would get people to like him.

How irritating.

"And that removal of anomalies… is that how Gooey came to Pop Star?"

'Yes.'

"So he was banished… at such a young age…" Meta's heart sank. All voidborns were abandoned into space after being incarnated, but most were lucky enough to be discovered by those who could raise them. He could only imagine what it would be like to have to live all on one's own so soon into one's life.

'I was the one who banished him, you know.'

"...What?"

'I banished him. I told him to never stop running. Never stop flying. Or we would find him and kill him. I should have done that. Zero asked me to dispose of him, because I failed to make something useful of him like I did myself. But… I failed. I should have done as I was told.'

Meta Knight grit his teeth. "How can you say that?"

'Because it is the truth. I should have… been a good child.'

Some strange and cold liquid ran down Meta's spine at those words. That… was the first time he'd ever heard the Matter use such personifying words about himself. A 'child?'

"What qualifies as being a good child to Zero?"

Blade's body stiffened, but he didn't raise his head. Instead, he curled up tighter, as if trying to hold something inside of his chest. 'I was a really good child, for a very long time. I was his favorite- No. I was not his favorite. He doesn't have favorites. That is like having a favorite organ of your child. But I was very useful to him. I proved myself worthy, even as an anomaly. I learned to do everything he asked, perfectly. I made him stop having to punish me. I never hurt him the way my other siblings did. I was never a disappointment. I never contributed to his suffering. I was perfect. I was a warrior. I did everything he asked, even when I didn't want- I WANTED TO DO EVERYTHING HE ASKED OF ME. I DID IT WELL. I DID IT EXCEPTIONALLY. MY ONLY FAILURE WAS THAT CHILD. HE WAS MY ONLY WRONG. I FAILED TO MAKE HIM LIKE ME. I FAILED TO KILL HIM WHEN I WAS ASKED. I DO NOT KNOW WHY I FAILED SUCH A THING. DO NOT ASK ME. I DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER. I DO NOT KNOW. I DO NOT KNOW. I DO NOT KNOW.'

Meta Knight was nearly knocked off his chair from the sheer force of the thoughts invading his mind. He had grown used to the sensation of the Matter's thoughts superceding his own for the sake of communication, but that second half of the rant almost felt as if something else was blocking out BOTH of their thoughts. And yet, they didn't feel foreign, or like lies. It was impossible for him to quantify. He sucked in a shuddering breath. Composure… composure… he was still in control of this discussion. There was nothing to fear either. This creature was merely deluded.

"And did doing what was asked of you make you happy."

'Dark Matter do not feel happiness,' he answered snappily. Like a preset dialogue response. What a joke…

"Noted." Meta could feel his own irritation and anger latching around his neck like a vise, despite his efforts to stay calm and collected. The longer he spent around this thing, the harder he found it to control his emotions. He wanted to blame it on Dark Matter's influence, but a part of him wondered if he really was letting his own judgment be clouded. He had to be fair… he WOULD be fair… He would be…

But he was making it so HARD.

"How did you return?"

'...Didn't you ask me that yesterday?'

"I thought I might get a different answer if I asked again."

With that, Meta packed up his writing utensils again. "We will continue tomorrow."

...

"Anything to report, Sir Meta?"

"Nothing of note."

"Uh-huh. How's your little project going?"

Meta's eyes widened ever so slightly, but it was enough for Taranza to pick up on it. "Pardon?"

"The Meta Knights told me that you were out and about on one of your little excursions lately. I was just wondering how that was going."

Damn, he didn't think they'd actually tell anyone about it! Well- he hadn't asked them to keep quiet (that'd be suspicious after all) so he couldn't be mad at them. No, he wasn't at all irritated in the slightest. Everything's fine. This is fine.

"Acceptable. Now, will that be all?" he grit out. Taranza ducked at his harsh tone and merely nodded.

...

"Seriously, you look like shit, Meta. Cantcha just lie down for a bit? I won' keep ya all night, but you don' hafta-"

"I am afraid I'll have to decline, my king. I simply have to get back to work."

"I don't know why you come all the way back here if you're really that busy then…"

"I… I just want to… see you. That's all. Is that not enough?"

Dedede slouched a bit. Well, now he just felt guilty… "Of course it is… I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. You aren't doing anything wrong. I promise, it's just for a little while."

"Ya promise?"

"I promise…"

Even as Meta waved him goodbye, smiling all the while, Dedede had to press down the guilt boiling in his stomach. He was being way too clingy, wasn't he? It had only been a few days. He'd been able to handle that before… Meta Knight probably just wanted to take a break from him for a while after everything. He didn't blame him…

Maybe he needed some fresh air too. Sitting around in his castle all day had been fine for a while, but the festival was coming up soon. He should get himself mentally ready with a nice day out!

Gooey noticed that his sibling was growing more and more jumpy lately. He'd been sleeping longer too (which he guessed was a good thing), but when the boy went to wake him up, he'd practically shot his head off with lightning.

'AH! Gooey! It's just you- I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-'

"Okay, okay! Sibling okay! Accident."

'I didn't want to hurt you-'

"Didn't hurt, see?" Gooey gestured to himself, showing how uninjured he was. "Okay, okay."

'I didn't hurt you. I didn't hurt you.'

And then, later that morning, when he wanted to ask him something… All Gooey did was tap his back. He hadn't been particularly quiet, so his sibling must have just not been paying attention… But he had just been standing there, staring at nothing, so what could have him so distracted? Regardless, when Gooey touched his back, the Matterborn flinched wildly, nearly crashing into the wall behind them.

"Oh! Sorry sibling! Didn't mean-"

'Gooey! Don't sneak up on me like that!'

"W- wasn't… sneak… no…"

'You were! You were trying to startle me, weren't you?! It's not funny!'

Gooey flinched back, reflexively covering his head. "Not funny- not funny-"

Blade's heart nearly jumped out of his throat when he realized he was scaring Gooey. He couldn't even bring himself to speak, so he just rushed past him, trying to hide away in another room.

...

The four of them decided to head out for a quick walk around town. Even Meta Knight had to agree that being cooped up inside that small house would not be a good idea for too long. Even so, he felt as if everyone was looking at them, scrutinizing them. Analyzing them. As if everyone already knew that he was keeping secrets, that he was lying. They knew he was lying and they were just waiting for him to admit it…

Every shadow out of the corner of his eye flickered with a ghost of a threat. It was like he was 17 again… Back when he'd lost everything. Back before he gained everything. This stupid farce was eroding at his fortitude faster than he would prefer.

Blade wasn't faring much better, though he wouldn't dare let Meta Knight catch wind of that. He had to pretend like this was all according to some master plan or some other dumb shit like that. That was his only hope for receiving justice. Gooey trailed closely behind his sibling, practically matching his footsteps and swiveling his head around to watch out for anything that might startle him. It seemed Kirby was the only one able to still keep their head held high, though even THEIR mood was slightly off. Their normal positive glow dulled slightly, despite how beautiful a day it was.

Just as the group turned the corner, seemingly out of nowhere, Meta Knight kicked backwards with his arms spread wide, slamming the other three into the wall.

"Wh- what the- Tata, what's goin' on?"

"Shhh," he pressed a finger to his lips before peeking back around the edge. "It's…" He cursed under his breath. "It's Dedede…"

Gooey preemptively slammed a sleeve over Kirby's mouth, muffling their shouted "WHAT?!"

Meta closed his eyes in thought before nodding. "I'll distract him. You two take Dark Matter back to the house. I'll reconvene in an hour, just in case you run into any trouble."

"O- okay- oki, we can do that." Kirby tugged on Blade's cloak. "C'mon, let's go!"

Meta Knight skidded around the corner and rushed up to Dedede, subtly but deliberately blocking him and the Dees' path. "Greetings, my king!"

"Oh, woah- hey Meta! Didn' think I'd see ya out here today." His face suddenly brightened. "Does this mean you got your little thingie done?"

"Unfortunately no, but I am taking a very brief break. I spotted you out and about and took my chance."

Kirby and Gooey snuck a quick peek past the wall, just to make sure that Dedede wasn't getting any closer.

"Oki… we're good, let's go." The two dashed off, before realizing about two seconds later that Blade wasn't following them. "Hey, what gives?"

Why wasn't he running? Why was he just… standing there?

"Sibling…? What wrong?"

Blade leaned against the wall, back arching and chest heaving. His piercing gaze stared out at nothing. Tremors rocketed up his body as his breath grew sharper and sharper; he raised an arm to the wall to stabilize himself while using the other to claw at his chest.

"Woah woah- hey hey hey! Y'can't show your arms- don't-" Kirby scrambled over, grabbed his arms, and tried to shove them back under his cloak. People were starting to notice Blade's panicked state, starting to stop and stare.

"Gotta go, gotta go. All seeing," Gooey urged. But Blade wasn't listening. Whatever had him locked in his mind, it wasn't letting go anytime soon. With no choice left, Gooey reached forward with his telekinesis and started dragging Blade along. Kirby floated up behind him and started shoving his back, helping Gooey's efforts.

"Don' worry," Kirby whispered in his ear. "We're gonna get you home, it'll be oki."

...

When Meta Knight finally managed to head back to the house, the first thing he noticed was that the Dark Matter was nowhere to be seen in the main room. Immediately, the hairs on the back of his neck raised. He shouldn't be panicking over such a small thing, and the creature had been out of the children's sight before, out of HIS sight. But something about this day left a bad feeling in his mouth.

"Gooey, where is your… sibling?"

The boy glanced up from his video game. "Hiding in bathroom. Hiding while… dunno why."

"How long?"

Gooey's eyes tilted down in dejection. "Since get home."

Meta knight nodded and headed towards the kitchen, then to the bathroom. He rapped his knuckles against the wooden door.

"Gooey informed me you've been hiding in there for a while now. If you're trying to hide something, it will not work."

A strange banging noise, like someone crashing against ceramic, rang out, and he heard something crash against the door. With a few clicks, the door locked. Meta Knight could see a shadow beneath the door; so he was trying to hold it shut, even though it was locked? What a strange creature indeed.

"Dark Matter. I demand you open this door and leave the room. You cannot hide away forever."

A scrabbling noise, like an animal clawing against the wood. Why wasn't he speaking? Could he not perform telepathy without line of sight? He'd have to interrogate him about that as well.

"I will break down this door if I need to. I would prefer not to have to do that."

The room fell silent for a moment, then the doorknob clicked again. However, the Dark Matter did not simply open the door. Rather, after a few more scrabbling sounds, a strange 'goopy' noise followed. A dark shadow, darker than it reasonably should be, crawled underneath the door, into Meta Knight's shadow. Then it rose out of the ground, forming into the Dark Matter.

He just… shadow walked… Why…. did he do that? Why was that necessary? What was he trying to prove? Meta raked his gaze over the Matter, trying to find some change in his appearance. But nothing…

He shook his head. No matter. He'd figure it out later. He had to. Right now, they needed to have their daily talk.

Things went about as smoothly as they did the past two days. Which is to say, about as smooth as a gravel road. Blade's responses were growing increasingly despondent, which just fueled Meta's irritation. That made his questions much harsher, which forced Blade to clam up even more and grow more despondent. It was a vicious cycle. Thirty minutes in, they hadn't gotten anywhere as much information as they previously had.

And then, for once, Blade asked the question.

'You hate me… yes? You are angry with me?'

Meta Knight twitched, tapping his pen idly against his notepad. Though the Dark Matter was correct, it felt wrong, somehow, to admit it. As if the Matterborn 'won' if he gave in to his anger. Because… frankly, it hadn't been him who the Matter hurt.

Though he'd done his best during the invasions, he just didn't have the same experience that Kirby, Dedede, and even Gooey went through. He hadn't suffered at their hands, like they had. All this anger he held in his chest… it wasn't for him, but his family. Even though… many of the people he might tentatively consider friends had done evils just as bad (maybe even worse) than this creature. And he'd accepted them. Even… forgave them, to an extent. So why did he find it so hard to do so for this one? Why was he letting his secondhand anger and vengeance cloud his judgment and knightly honor? Was it because it was so soon? Little over a week since…

Why now…?

He thought back to the conversation he had with Susie during his mechanization… She had been right, without even knowing it. Under enough duress, he would throw away his morals just to keep his family safe. So he wouldn't have to lose them again.

Perhaps if it hadn't been so close to the incident in the New World, he would have been able to think clearer. But high alert as he was, it made it so much easier to abandon himself for their sakes.

So yes. He did hate the Dark Matter. The knight finally, silently nodded to answer his question.

'Yes… I thought so.'

Blade suddenly stood up, ignoring Meta's hand reflexively reaching for his scabbard. He straightened his back and emptied his face of all emotion. Then he spread his arms wide, presenting himself to the knight.

'In that case, do as you please with me.'

"...What do you mean?"

'I am causing severe harm. You have a right to punish me as you please. I do not have permission to resist.'

This can't be real… Why was he giving him such an opportunity? He… he wouldn't attack him. He would not attack an unarmed opponent. Not like this. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

"I will not do anything. You said I can do as I please? Then I will do nothing."

If he didn't know any better, Meta would think the Matter looked disappointed. Meta stood up and guided him to the kitchen door. Before pushing him out, he asked one more question.

"How did you return?"

'...'

"I thought I might get a different answer if I asked."

With that, he slammed the door in his face.

...

Later that night, Meta decided to investigate the bathroom for anything suspicious. What he found was a large smattering of black ooze in the bathtub, with weird chunks mixed in.

"Eugh… disgusting. What is this?" Meta leaned over the edge, picking up one of the solid pieces. He wasn't sure what the ooze was, though he could only assume it was some form of bodily fluid. Whatever it was, he didn't wanna touch it more than he had to. Good thing he was wearing gloves. But this chunk… it felt oddly solid. Tentatively, he brought it over to the sink and ran water over it. Then he pulled off one of his gloves to observe the texture.

It felt… like skin? Yes, it was certainly a fleshy color… He took a few steps back, sitting back against the bathtub and turning the object around in his hands.

And then… he froze.

On the opposite end of the object… that was… something sticking out of it… something white, and hard.

Bone…..

Then that…. That more solid piece on the other end was…..

Fingernail….

Meta dropped the fleshy chunk as if it burned him and spun around, leaning over the tub. Y- yes- that- that was- dozens of dozens of- of- of-

Severed fingers? DARK MATTER'S severed fingers?!

He held back the urge to vomit, instead focusing that disgust into his palms, clenching them around the edges of the tub so tight it may crack. What the HELL!? WHY?! Why did he- HOW DID he- He just- did he just sit there for hours on end- breaking his fingers off and regrowing them- WHY?! WHAT THE FUCK WAS HIS PROBLEM!?

Ugh- Nova above… he needed to clean this up. He couldn't let the kids see this. He had to- help-

Fuck…. Fucking hell…

What… was wrong with that boy…?

...

Taranza anxiously fiddled with his papers. "...Anything of note, Sir Meta?"

"No. Nothing." His voice was clipped and sharp, stabbing into the advisor's heart like a sewing needle.

"Mkay… good to know. I thought there might be, since you were late."

"Well, there was nothing."

And just as quickly as he arrived, he left.

Taranza's nose wrinkled. What on Pop Star was that scent? It was so… odd. It reminded him of blood, yet it didn't have the metallic tang he expected. Hmm… Taranza's gaze trailed over to the door, where Meta Knight had been just a moment ago…

The spider boy stood up… and carefully tiptoed over to the door, crouching down to look at something on the floor.

Some sort of weird, dark ooze, where Meta had left a footprint.

…Maybe he should talk to Magolor again.

...

Dedede was already asleep by the time Meta arrived in his chambers… He'd missed his chance.

That didn't matter. He'd see him again tomorrow, right? So why did his heart pang at the thought? He'd even seen him earlier today! He hadn't even planned to talk to him for long. But… now he'd missed out.

The man crept over, careful not to wake him, and lifted his mask up. He pressed a soft, quiet kiss against his forehead, then turned to head back out.

Only until he'd already left the castle did he realize that the king had slept in his kimono. He groaned, tearing his hands through his hair.

Blade was finding it harder and harder to focus, and this morning was no exception. This marked the fourth day under Meta Knight's supervision, and he was already falling to pieces. How could he possibly expect to sustain this?

Right now, him, Gooey, and Kirby were picking at their breakfast while the knight watched. He had to wonder when the man ever ate. HAD he even ate? Surely he must be starving by now… Not that Blade was much better. He'd hardly been able to stomach the simple bowl of noodles sitting in front of him. While Kirby and Gooey had been able to scarf it down despite the dour mood, he had barely been able to eat a single bite.

"Sibling? Taste bad?"

He shook his head. It was getting harder for him to 'talk' as well. He was just too disoriented.

"Does it need more flavor? I can slicey dice some peppers and onyons if you want," Kirby offered.

Again, he shook his head. Forcing down his nausea, he raised a forkful of noodles to his mouth and slurped them up. Unfortunately, and almost instantly, a wave of vertigo slammed into his head, threatening to claw its way up his throat and out his mouth. He slammed a hand over his mouth and stood up so fast he nearly knocked the chair over. Then he rushed to the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

Kirby and Gooey both shot to their feet, but it was already too late. They could hear the sound of bile hitting the bottom of the trash can. Kirby grimaced and wrapped their arms around their torso.

"I don' geddit… He was doing so good… 'N why is he sick? We didn' do anything wrong, did we?"

Gooey hummed, shaking his head. "Sometimes… head sick. Makes body sick. Right Mr. Knight?" He glanced back at Meta, who silently nodded. If he opened his mouth, he feared he'd say something he regretted. Regardless, it wouldn't do well for their reluctant guest to get sick. But he'd have to make sure that there wasn't ANOTHER disgusting mess in the bathroom later.

...

Most of the day was spent performing the normal, time-wasting tasks, and Gooey and Kirby trying (and failing) to teach the Dark Matter to play checkers. Meta Knight didn't have the heart nor the energy to tell them they were getting the rules wrong. Every bone in his body felt dull and lifeless, like something that only existed to drag his skin down. He knew he hadn't been getting enough sleep, and he knew he'd been skipping too many meals. It was a bad habit of his that, whenever he got into extended stressful situations, he skipped taking care of himself because every second not spent working on the situation was a second he felt wasted. He knew it was foolish, but he couldn't help himself. The last time this happened was when he'd just started protecting Waddle Dee town in the New World, before he'd really gotten into the flow of things.

Time flew by without him realizing, and before he knew it, it was dinner. Kirby had been insistent that, even if he skipped meals, he HAD to eat dinner with them. He wouldn't deny that, although he deliberately refused to sit at the table with the Matterborn. Instead, moving a chair over to the kitchen counter and eating there. Tonight's meal was quite delicious. Kirby was really coming into their own as a cook. Much better than a few years ago where they would somehow scorch pots while boiling water.

After dinner, Meta held back the Dark Matter for their daily interrogation since he'd forgotten earlier. Nothing much was accomplished. The Matter simply rested his head on the table, lying still in silence. If he didn't know better, he'd think he fell asleep. But he just barely reacted to the knight's questioning, and occasionally answered. Meta felt his emotions fluctuating like the tides, bouncing between intense exhaustion and irritation so great that he could snap his pen.

By the time they were finished dragging their feet through the farce of a conversation, the moon had long since taken its place in the sky.

"How did you return?"

'...'

"How did you return."

'...'

"How did you return.."

'I hope you die.'

Meta Knight sighed and shut his notes, stowing them away. He didn't have the will to stay angry at him right now. The Matter did not stand up, or even sit up. Almost instinctively, Meta Knight reached for him, to help him stand if he couldn't. But he remembered himself just a moment too late. His hand was already on the creature's shoulder.

The Dark Matter flinched and looked up at the knight with confused, almost wild eyes. Or, eye, as it were. It pierced into his heart, and a thought occurred to him.

Dark Matter that weren't Gooey were incapable of feeling positive emotions. But guilt was a negative emotion.

Was it possible that…?

"You should go lie down," he muttered halfheartedly. The Matter's fearful gaze sharpened, and he shook his head. Fine. He could sleep there for all the knight cared. Let him wake up with aching bones, if he even had them. As Meta was about to head out to give his report, a loud jingling sound nearly sent him flying into the ceiling.

"Gh- what the-?!" Meta Knight fished through his cape, pulling out his communicator.

Captain Vul's contact photo sat there on the screen, mocking him with the cheery ringtone.

"Shit…"

FUCK. He COMPLETELY forgot he was supposed to meet with his crew tonight! Nova- DAMMIT. He SAID he'd be able to make it earlier this week and now he was LATE. Shit- shit shit shit- Meta Knight scrambled out the kitchen and through the window, flying as fast as he could through the night. Once he was a few seconds from the house, he answered the call.

"Vul?"

"Ai, where do you think you are, mister? It's been thirty damn minutes!"

Meta Knight grit his teeth, ignoring the urge to scream. Vul was the only person on his crew who could get away with treating him like a disobedient child, but that didn't make it any less annoying. Even more so because he was completely in the right this time. Instead, he cleared his throat and forced a clarity into it that he hadn't actually felt in days.

"I'm heading over now. I got a bit wrapped up in my patrol. A few stray monsters had to be dealt with. I should be there within ten minutes."

"Yeah you better be, or you're not hearin' the end of it!" With that, the man hung up, leaving Meta alone with the ear grating dial tone.

...

The meeting had been completely routine, which just made Meta even more furious that he'd nearly missed it. This was something he did with his crew every week. And he almost missed it because he was stuck keeping an eye on that stupid fucking-

Composure… composure… everything was fine. No one was forcing him to do that. He assigned it to himself because he believed it was the right thing to do. In the end, he HAD at least gained valuable information regarding the logistics of Dark Matters and Zero, among a few other things. He could perhaps make use of that in the future. And who knows… maybe by the time the festival rolled around, he would feel confident enough to leave the creature to his own devices.

If he just pulled back these tactics of his that were clearly… not working, he might actually get somewhere. He just didn't want to stop. He didn't want to stop tormenting the creature and he didn't want to stop tormenting himself… This was nothing. What he was suffering through right now was nothing compared to everyone else. So he shouldn't fall to the temptation of lightening up on the Matter, no matter how much it was starting to ache. Maybe if he just pushed it enough, it would give up whatever it was planning. Yes?

He wasn't even paying attention to the meeting. All of his crew could tell. He could tell that they could tell. So instead of sticking around to mingle with them, he left the Halberd as soon as the meeting ended. He shotgunned it to Castle Dedede, knowing he was even later for his report than yesterday.

What was he even doing…?

It was all wrong. Everything was wrong. And he didn't know where to go. Half of his body screamed at him that it would be so much easier, so much kinder, so much better for everyone if he just eased up and took a different approach to the Dark Matter. He might even be able to convince the creature that what he was doing was wrong. He could deal with the experiences that the children wouldn't understand. The other half of him screamed that he couldn't afford to risk it. If he slipped up enough, he might lose family. Again. And this time, it really WOULD be all his fault.

Whatever he chose, both options felt wrong.

I'm doing something wrong.

...

When he arrived in the castle library, Meta Knight's heart sank at its empty status. What..? Where- where was Taranza?! He didn't usually leave unless something serious took his attention- oh, he hadn't been paying good enough attention. He probably had some important business to take care of- or- or maybe he grew fed up with waiting on him. Dammit- dammit all to hell-

Meta Knight raced through the hallways, quickly throwing open every door he passed in the hopes that he'd find the royal advisor. The little kernel of sanity left in his mind said that he could just leave a note on Taranza's chamber doors or find a Waddle Dee to leave a message, but he didn't want to miss ANOTHER part of his routine on the same day. It didn't matter how late he was if he just got it done!

Arriving at Dedede's chambers, he practically kicked it open in his desperation, only to find Taranza muttering something to the king in hushed tones.

"I just don't know if he-"

But then Dedede noticed his presence and quickly hushed the advisor. Taranza spun around, sent the knight an extremely quick and strained greeting, and rushed out before Meta could even give his report.

"My- my king? What's going on?"

"Uh, nothin', nothin' at all."

"That's… not true."

"Yeah well," he folded his arms, "since we're back to keepin' things from each other, it's only fair."

Meta Knight's heart nearly tore its way through his chest. He couldn't ignore how unsettlingly familiar his king's tone was. Far too close to how it sounded half a month ago. "E- excuse me?"

"Are you gonna talk to me about what you're dealin' with right now?"

"I… I don't need to… do that. You really don't have to worry…"

"You're makin' me worry MORE just by sayin' that! I mean- c'mon Meta, you're bein' a huge hypocrite right now!"

"I KNOW. I know I am, but I just can't talk to you about this at the moment. I- I promise- I promise I will soon but I currently can't."

Dedede wrung his hands. "Why? What is it that you CAN'T talk to me about? Is it- do you think I can't HANDLE it or somethin'? Do you not trust me?"

Meta hung his head. "No, that's not it. I really just… can't."

Dedede huffed a heavy sigh, bowing his head as well. "Fine. Whatever. It's fine. I don't care. Just… go do whatever you want. It's fine."

A silence hung between the two, dangling by a noose. Meta Knight idly picked at his gloves, relishing in the pain seeping into his back. Dedede wasn't even being unfair. He was right to be angry… and Meta deserved to feel uncomfortable.

"I love you…" he murmured.

"I love you too, Meta. Please, just…" He raised a hand, but then pulled it back. "Take care of yourself…"

"I hope you are doing the same."

Meta Knight excused himself from the room, leaving Dedede behind to stew in his confusion and heartache.

He had to be avoiding him for a reason… In all the time he'd known him, there'd hardly been a single person that Meta would let push him around. So he found it hard to believe that he was hiding things because someone was forcing him to. Did he just… not trust him? Did he think he wouldn't be able to handle whatever he was dealing with?

Had he lied? Did he still think he was weak?

He didn't lie… he didn't lie about that… surely.

So… what? What else could it be?

Ah… maybe he just… was avoiding him outright. Even if only subconsciously… he didn't want to be around Dedede more than he had to. Because… it was too much for him. It had been too much. Dedede shouldn't have talked to him… he'd messed up. He should have kept quiet- and now Meta was like that. Because of him.

He'd done something wrong. He needed to fix this somehow. He could- he'd prove that Meta could talk to him about whatever was going on. He didn't have to do this- he'd be better- he'd be better! He had to fix whatever he was doing now!

I'M DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

...

Even though the moon was slinking back under the horizon, Blade hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Worse still, he couldn't blame it on racing thoughts or panicked nightmares. Instead, he'd just stared up at the ceiling, mind completely blank.

Nothing made sense. Nothing was right. The children's efforts to make him happy were failing, because he couldn't control himself. He was disappointing them. Meta Knight was simultaneously crueler and kinder than he expected him to be. He couldn't give him the answers he deserved out of fear of death, even though he wanted him to kill him. Everything in his mind was an enigma, and he couldn't even focus well enough to lament it.

And that near run-in with Dedede… just brought all his most intense guilt and fear to the forefront. How could he exist like this? Even asking to live was wrong. Even asking to die was wrong. He was completely and utterly trapped. If only he could just…

If only he'd never been born. That was the only way he could fix things. But it was too late now.

I'm doing something wrong.

I'M DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

Bandee slung his pack over his shoulder, making sure it held tight. He was heading over to Kirby's today, surprise-ruining be damned. He couldn't stand the way Dad and Papa were all tense like that… and he needed help. Kirby would know what to do…

...

That morning, though Blade hadn't slept at all, what snapped him back to reality was Meta Knight. Not his presence, no he'd been here the past few hours, but what he did…

The man idly, like he did every morning, ruffled the children's hair as they woke up. To greet the day with a form of affection. And then, almost instinctively, he reached for Blade's head as well. The Matter found it impossible to move or protest, his mind still too foggy to act. The only feeling within him was a rush of adrenaline and confusion.

Meta must have realized what he was doing halfway through the movement, because he quickly veered his hand away from Blade's head and instead patted his shoulder, somewhat roughly. But it was still the kindest gesture he'd given the Matter all week. He didn't know what to make of it. Especially with the way Meta forced a strained glare into his gaze that didn't really match his body language or the aura around him.

There was one thing for certain. Blade had failed to make Meta completely despise him.

Breakfast didn't make him throw up, but it also didn't feel as good as it had those first few days with Gooey and Kirby. He wished they would make scrambled eggs again. He could compare how much better he was with a fork now.

Kirby and Gooey were discussing possible outing options over their meal. "So I was thinkin' we could probably head to that tea place again! Get more funny smells?" "Yes yes, good smells…"

Meta tilted his head, tired amusement leaking into his voice. "You three have just been… smelling the tea?"

"Well we don' know how to COOK it."

"You don't- …How about I teach you sometime?"

Before the kids could agree, a loud knocking rang out from the wall next to where the door WOULD be. All four of them shot to their feet, panic seeping into their bones. Gooey was the first to act, rushing over to the plugged up doorway.

"Who is it?"

A warm, familiar voice replied. "It's me, Nago! I brought Rick with me too!"

A smile spread across Gooey's face on instinct as he thought of his fluffy friends, but then quickly dropped. Crap- what were they doing here? He spun around, shooting a quick glance at the other three. Instantly, Meta Knight grabbed Gooey's sibling, scooping him up by the waist and shoving him into Kirby's wardrobe. Kirby then scrambled to put the dishes away and hide all evidence that anyone other than Meta had stayed the night. Gooey turned back around.

"Hello! What doing here?"

"Pitch told me about your door being broken, and I ran into Rick yesterday so I figured he could come fix it for you."

"Yeah, I didn't have time then, but I got the whole day open now! Betcha it'll feel good not havin' to go through the window." His voice paused and Gooey could just imagine his little head shake. "I swear, you kids are just plain kooky sometimes. Pluggin' this thing up so tight with just blankets 'n pillows."

"Uh- th- thank you…" Gooey mumbled. "Unplug now, okay? Stand back!"

Once the footsteps receded, Gooey gathered telekinetic energy in his chest, coiling it up like a spring before letting it flick free. In an instant, all the bedsheets and pillows flew from the door frame, scattering all over the grass. The boy moved to start picking up after himself, while Nago and Rick helped.

By the time they were done, Kirby and Meta Knight both finished cleaning up their little secret and were back in the bedroom. Kirby sat on the bed, kicking their legs impatiently, while Meta Knight leaned casually against the wardrobe, keeping it shut. He could feel the anxious excitement of the elder Matterborn writhing around behind him, but he couldn't let him out, regardless of how much he scrabbled and clawed. Thankfully, the two animalesque guests were too busy talking to their young friends to notice the soft yet persistent noises.

"Ey Meta! Fancy seeing you here!" Rick waved at him. Meta Knight simply nodded his head in acknowledgement, smiling.

"Yeah, Tata was over for a sleepyover!" Kirby explained enthusiastically. They began rambling in excessive detail about all the fun they'd been having together, and only about half of it was made up. Nago nodded along, clearly not paying as much attention to their words as Rick. Gooey dragged the broken door pieces out of a nearby closet and the two began observing the damage.

Blade's ragged breath heaved as he wriggled around inside the wardrobe. He felt like a dying animal, trapped inside a cage so he'd never see the light of day again. He didn't even have the lucidity to tell himself that it wouldn't last long. Just a few hours at most while they fixed the door! HAHAHA! JUST A FEW HOURS OF BEING STUCK IN HERE SILENT BECAUSE YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO EXIST! JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER, RIGHT?!

Just a bit longer until you can be seen. Just a bit longer until you deserve to exist. Just gotta work for it. Just gotta work for it like you did with Zero. It's just a bit. Just a bit. Just a bit. You can make it; you always have. You are GOOD. You are WRONG. You CAN'T.

They were talking about something, about nothing, out there. Idling. Wasting time. He was gonna be stuck here forever. Because they didn't actually want to let him go. They didn't want him to be good. It was a lie. It was the biggest deception game he'd ever seen played. It was admirable! He should be PROUD. He was so so so so so so proud that he could just laugh from how proud he was if he even had a voice which he didn't because he wasn't allowed to speak or live or think and he wasn't allowed to be anything anyone at all no no no no voice no voice at all that's not for you-

How long has it been now? Hours? Seconds? Minutes? Days? He was certain it had been at least thirty minutes. At least thirty minutes of suffocating in here because he could just barely see the sun's shadows moving along. He could see how they twisted and coiled and burnt him.

No.

No.

He couldn't-

Before he even realized what he was doing, he found his body dissipating, evaporating into the shadows. His vision blurred until he found himself within a dark void. Looking up, he saw the inverted outlines of reality, where the absence of light met existence. Now…. now was his chance! He could get out! He just- he just wanted to leave the house- that was all! He didn't want to run away, but if he didn't have to hide in the house, they wouldn't have to worry about keeping him a secret until the other two left! When he made it out of the shadows, he'd shoot a quick explanation thought to Gooey, then hide in the forest until they were gone. Th- there! No need to panic! No need to descend into madness! He could get some fresh air and alone time and organize his thoughts and EVERYTHING would be fine!

With that decided, he swam under the rim of the house, his mind clear for the first time in days. He finally had an idea, a plan (however small), that he was sure wouldn't cause problems. He guided his consciousness to the edge of reality, and flipped his body back into existence, letting air flood his lungs. Already, he felt better just getting out of that damnable house. Now he just had to-

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Blade froze, still hunched over on the ground. He knew that voice. Of course he did. The owner was almost always hovering around Dedede. His most loyal subject and beloved heir.

Bandana Waddle Dee stared down at the suddenly appearing Dark Matter, eyes wide as saucers.

Meta Knight was tired of how many times in the past few days his heart reached the verge of exploding. The moment he heard Bandee's scream, he knew something had gone wrong. Spinning around, he flung open the wardrobe, only to find Dark Matter conspicuously absent. That little-! Pushing past everyone else, ignoring the frantic cries and confused shouts, he raced out the door and wheeled around its perimeter.

He was greeted with the sight of a frozen, fearstruck Bandee staring up at Dark Matter, whose hands were raised in a desperate placating. This was perhaps the second worst possible person to find out right now. Bandee-who'd also been possessed before-would alert Dedede without a second thought. Without any consideration.

He couldn't… do it like this… anymore.

He failed.

He had to salvage this..!

Meta Knight's vision went white and before he knew it, Galaxia's blade was buried in the Dark Matter's back. Not through his heart, but his left shoulder. He shoved forward, piercing all the way through and forcing the creature to the ground.

The children's screams echoed through his skull.

Blade's jaw hung open in shock as he crumpled. Something visceral tore through his throat, and an unnatural, unrecognizable, choked scream crawled forth.

"Ah- aaaaa-ggggggghhhhh- aaaahh- khhhh-aa-!"

It took everything within the knight to not cringe at his foreign screams, but when he spoke, his voice was cold and clear, even as he leaned over a skewered body.

"Bandee. Fly back to the palace and warn the king. I will follow as soon as I can."

The boy snapped out of his stupor and gave a quick nod. Within seconds, his chest began glowing, and his body wavered into the air before shooting across the plain in the opposite direction. Clamoring shouts from Kirby and Gooey crashed against his ears as he jerked Galaxia from the elder Matter's back. He spun on his heel, swooping cleanly out of the way of the children he knew would try and latch onto him.

"DON'T! Don't take sibling! DON'T TAKE HIM FROM ME!"

"Tata, don't! You can't do this, you can't!"

A dull, exhausted, gray fog had descended over the knight's mind, removing all unnecessary emotions without him even wanting it. He coldly replied, "I'm afraid I can, and I must." He reached down to pull the Matter to his feet.

"NO! No, no, don't touch him! You can't do this! Not yet, he's not ready! You can't-"

Meta Knight reached into his cape and pulled out a small, glowing star with a symbol engraved on it. This was usually reserved for when his child was having trouble sleeping for whatever reason, but this purpose would serve it well too.

"Please forgive me for this…"

He tossed the ability star at the child, hitting them squarely in the forehead. It shattered with a deceptively pleasant 'clink,' and Kirby soon struggled to keep their eyes open.

"N… no…. Don't…"

A second later, they were on the ground, fast asleep. Meta turned to the two adults who'd arrived on the scene a moment ago. "Rick, Nago, please keep Gooey from following me." The two of them only took a second to glance at each other in shock before nodding and wrapping themselves around each of the boy's arms. With that secured, Meta Knight kneeled down and forced Dark Matter to his feet. Thick, dark blood still leaked from his wound, and his whole body shivered violently. He felt no hate for him in this moment. Only pity, and fear of whether anyone would die in the next few hours. He wrapped his arm around the taller man's waist and shot into the sky, leaving a puff of dirt in his wake.

Gooey struggled weakly against the two older men's grips, trying desperately to tear his arms free. "LET GO, LET GO- g- get sibling back- don't lose- no lose- again again- no… no lose…" Tears squeezed their way out of his eyes and his voice shook like a leaf in the wind. Rick sighed sympathetically.

"I dunno what's goin' on but… it'll be alright little guy. I- Meta Knight knows what he's doing…"

"NO! N- no- gonna lose- c- can't…"

Lightning coursed through his tiny body. He couldn't… NO. He WOULDN'T let this happen again! NOT AGAIN. HE WAS TIRED OF HIS HAPPINESS BEING STOLEN.

'I WON'T LET THEM TAKE HIM FROM ME!'

In one great FLASH, small bolts of Darkness ratcheted out of him, exploding out the pores of his skin and leaving small blots of blood where they exited. Despite his fear of hurting others and the self-restraint that came with it, Nago and Rick both jumped back, tucking their hands in their sleeves to massage the tingling sensation away. That gave Gooey just enough of an opening to unfurl his fins and shoot into the sky.

It was a stroke of luck that Dedede hadn't been holding anything when Bandee burst into the throne room, screaming that a Dark Matter was spotted at Kirby's house. If he had been, he would have surely dropped or crushed it.

Emotions he didn't know he could feel rushed through his veins, flushing out every piece of sanity and lucidity. It had been one thing to believe that Dark Matter could still exist in another world. But living, breathing proof that it was still a threat HERE?! No- no this had to be a bad dream, or some sort of joke. (But even those two alternatives were impossible.)

Terror and sorrow and anticipation and excitement and a deep, all-encompassing sickness stewed in his rib cage. Every single feeling he'd experienced over the past five years, all compressed into this one moment.

"-on his way. Great King? Great King, are you listening?!"

Static blared in his ears. In his vision. Under his skin. It rippled through his muscles, keeping them locked in place.

"Great King- DAD PLEASE! I need to know what to do!"

Bandee's desperate pleas snapped him out of it. His body straightened up and he took on the air of authority that he knew he NEEDED to project right now. No matter how terrified he was.

"Bandee, I need you to grab whoever's left in the throne room and get them OUT of there. Make sure no one comes in either. I'll meet you there in a second."

"A- are you sure I can-"

"Kid, I trust you, okay? Just get movin'!"

The kid only took a moment to stabilize before spinning on his heel and kicking off towards his destination.

Once he could no longer hear his son's footsteps, Dedede sucked in a deep breath. He didn't want to do this. He COULDN'T do this. But he had to.

He could barely feel the solid, reinforced wood of the hammer gripped in his hands. He could hardly feel anything at all. The only sensation under his skin was a painful, scrabbling one… The insects again. They'd been relegated to his hands before, because that was what had done wrong. But now it wriggled under his stomach, threatening to undo him again.

It wouldn't happen again. It couldn't.

And if it did, then he would just give up and die right then and there. He couldn't keep swimming if his gasps for air were to be this short.

...

Bandee and the King hadn't finished ushering the other Dees out of the throne room but a second too soon. The moment they reached the throne, Meta Knight threw open the palace doors….

With a Dark Matter… no, not just any Dark Matter…. That was…. HE was…..

Dedede immediately spun around, both to avoid looking at him and to face Bandee. His eyebrows furrowed and he near glared down at the kid.

"I need you to get out of here, now. Go hide with the others, okay?" he muttered in rushed, desperate tones.

"Wh- No, Great King! I can't just leave you-"

"I- I promise, I'll be fine, but I can't have you stickin' around- I can't do that- please, just leave the room until I come get you, I need you to be safe-"

"No! I'm not leaving you and Meta until-"

"Bandana," Dedede growled. "Get outta here, now. That's an order."

The boy's eyes widened slightly. It was always a shock to his core when Dedede actually commanded the authority that a king should have. But he also knew there was no arguing now. He had to follow orders. With a silent nod, he spun on his heel and raced to the back door, hiding just behind it in case something bad really did happen.

And now…. all Dedede had to do was turn around.

He could hear Meta Knight dragging the Blade. He could hear the monster's hisses of pain and its desperate thrashes as it tried to get away. He could hear the way it slammed its fists uselessly against his knight's armor.

He could hear the electricity crackling in the air.

No- No! He couldn't let him hurt Meta! Dedede forced his feet to move, against all odds, against every desperate, animalistic survival instinct in his body. He begged his eyes to stay open, to look into the face of his very first tormentor and feel nothing at all. He rushed forward, brandishing his hammer, and readied himself for the worst.

In the same moment, Meta thrust the creature in his arms away from him, sending him crashing to the floor. His body splayed out across the velvet carpet, pitch black hair and clothes pooling around him like blood. His arms-why was he wearing those gloves?!-shivered violently as he struggled to lift himself off the ground. He had yet to look Dedede in the eye.

The king jerked to a stop, resisting every urge to either run or immediately kill him. He couldn't possibly know what he had up his sleeve, and even if he looked weak, that didn't mean it was true. He poised his hammer, not quite ready to deliver a killing blow, but ready to strike.

The Blade of Dark Matter still wasn't looking up at him. He hung his head, shaking, deliberately avoiding his gaze. Meta Knight stared down at him with pitying eyes. Not pity that meant you sympathized and wished them better, but pity in the way you pity an enemy that you know you have to kill. The kind of pity that makes you realize you're about to die.

All this time, Dedede couldn't speak. His throat ran dry, cracked, shattered beyond belief. In the back of his mind, he wondered if this was how his Mirror self felt. Hatred and terror mixing in a horrible concoction that just left you paralyzed. You couldn't act on either feeling.

Finally… King Dedede forced words from his throat. They were simple words. They were pathetic, even. But it ultimately broke the crushing silence and caused the electricity in the air to evaporate.

"It's… you….."

As if his voice activated something, the Blade's head flipped up and they locked gazes. That sunset orange eye… that eye he would never forget until the day he died, and would stay with his soul long after that.

It looked at him. With complete and utter terror.

He had to laugh. Though he knew he shouldn't, his body relaxed, almost in relief. This was too good to be true…. This thing… was scared of HIM instead of the other way around! Huh?! How does it feel? Did you imagine you'd ever end up on the other side of this? Did you ever, once, in your Novaforsaken life, consider that this was what you were making people suffer through?!

A clipped, almost panicked, but undeniably cathartic laugh bubbled out of his throat. Though partially from insanity, most of its power came from something he hadn't felt in a very long time. Something that his younger self indulged in all the time, but he had learned to temper.

Satisfaction and gloating and cruelty and knowing that the people who hurt you were suffering and they DESERVED IT! THE SUFFERING OF PEOPLE LIKE THIS IS THE GREATEST FORM OF JOY!

"Eh- ehaha- EHAHAHAHAHAHA! EHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!

"HOW DOES IT FEEL, HUH?! DOES IT HURT? AREN'T YOU SCARED?! YOU'RE FUCKING TERRIFIED, AREN'T YOU?! AREN'T YOU?!"

Yeah, this feeling- Unimaginable terror knowing that you can't possibly escape and that nobody's gonna save you! Knowing that there was nothing you could have ever done to fight it! Knowing that every need and desire you ever had was just overruled by someone else.

He hated that feeling. He wouldn't wish that on his worst enemy.

….

Wouldn't he..?

Almost as quickly as it came, Dedede's crazed laughter faded out, and his face twisted into something unsettling. A smile that he clearly was forcing to stay in place. That smile stretched across his jaw, cracked and distorted and not at all matching his dead eyes.

Blade's heart beat a million times a second.

There he was. There was the king. The man he'd ruined and the man who ruined him. The man that, every time he thought of him, either filled Blade with a great warmth or an utter despair. He had started everything. He knew this. Blade knew that, with one simple act that he had made as a form of pragmatism when following his Lord's orders, he'd set off a domino chain of events. A chain that led this man to almost kill himself less than a month ago. And Blade had WANTED him to succeed, because he loved him so much that he wished he was dead.

If it wasn't for him, he wouldn't be laughing like that. He wouldn't be smiling like that, with tears in his empty, broken eyes. He wouldn't be wearing an expression even CLOSE to that! He wouldn't be shaking! He wouldn't be hesitating! He wouldn't be…. like this…

He knew exactly what was going through his head right now. How could he not? He knew him better than anyone else, whether he wanted to or not. He WAS him. He knew he was relishing in the small chance of vengeance he'd been gifted….. and he knew that he was holding himself back.

Because, unfortunately for both of them, King Dedede was a good person.

The head of his hammer slammed against the floor. He hadn't let go, but his prized weapon now dangled loosely at his side. Unready. Unprepared.

"What're you….. H- how…. did you come back….?"

It was just barely a question. More like a gasp of pondering. He was barely begging Blade for an answer. Even so, Meta Knight continued to stare at him with those cold, enigmatic eyes. Blade should have made him hate him more, so that he could have died faster. As it was, hunching over on the ground between two of the most powerful men in the nation, waiting for his judgment, did not feel great.

But he still couldn't answer. No matter how many times they asked, he couldn't answer how he came back. He didn't want to admit that he'd completely violated Dedede's mind and privacy and life in a foolish attempt at survival. He didn't want to admit that he loved the man he'd tortured and then leached off of for half a decade. He didn't want to admit he'd begged for his death countless times over so he could replace him. He didn't want to admit he was even more of a disgusting parasite than they already knew him as.

It wasn't even out of fear of death anymore, considering how unable he was to decide whether he should live or die. (Oh, would you look at that? Another thing they had in common.) No. He just… he knew they'd kill him out of rage, and then Dedede would be left all alone with the knowledge of what had been done to him without any way to act on it. And he didn't want to think about what would happen next. He couldn't do that to him. To THEM.

Meta Knight tapped the tip of Galaxia against the Dark Matter's back. "Answer him." His voice still held an unnatural chill.

No… don't make me say it… please…. But no one's going to save me…. He raised his arms slowly, protecting his head. He turned slightly, shooting a glance and a private thought to the knight.

'Please, don't make me speak to him. I can't speak to him- I can't!'

Meta's eyes simply narrowed, and he kicked him forward slightly, inadvertently aggravating his wound. Blade hissed and straightened up, trying to press the opening shut. It was then that Dedede noticed how injured he actually was.

"...You're hurt… I didn't know you could be…."

Blade sucked in a sharp breath. Please, please don't let that be sympathy in his voice. Don't. Don't you fucking dare. His fingers held the carpet beneath him in a death grip.

"Kirby informed me that he is no longer impervious to normal damage."

"I… that's… that's good. That's great." He shook his head, and tightened his grip on his hammer. He still didn't lift it, though. "How did you come back? How?! I- I need to know!"

He couldn't answer. Please, don't make me…

"Answer the king. He asked you a question."

No… no no no…

Dedede rushed him, throwing away his terror. He needed to know, more than anything, how this happened. So he could stop it before it started. He needed to know whether he could go on like this! The king grabbed the Blade's scarf and jerked him to his feet, so close that they were almost nose to nose. Meta Knight's body tensed for the first time since he'd shut down emotionally, ready to attack if Blade tried anything.

Dedede's voice bled venom. "Tell me. Tell me if this is going to keep happening. Tell me if I have to live the rest of my life worrying about you fucking demons."

He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to force himself upon the king again. But he also couldn't let him believe what he KNEW he was thinking. Tentatively, as gently as he could, Blade let his thoughts slip into the king's mind as well.

'I… don't think… anyone else… any of my siblings will come back. I don't… think it's possible. It's… just me… I promise…'

Whether it be relief at finally getting an answer, disgust at being mentally invaded, or shock at the raw sincerity of Blade's voice, Dedede dropped the Dark Matter very suddenly. Almost as if he'd picked up a mug that was too warm. He would have shattered against the floor. The king's breath hitched and his free hand shot to his mouth.

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Maybe it was because of his long and sordid experience of having foreign inhabitants in his mind, but something deep inside Dedede told him that the Matterborn was telling the truth. This was just some… some sick fluke of luck. There wasn't any deeper reason that he came back. Miraculously. Accursedly. But he was still, undeniably, back.

His vision had come true.

He didn't know what to do now. Was he supposed to just… kill him? That didn't feel right, for some reason. Something about crushing the skull of this already broken, already terrified creature…

He wasn't like them. He wasn't like any of the creatures that tried to destroy this world. Not anymore. Kirby may be his child now, but they'd taught him just as much as he taught them. Taught him… to show mercy.

But he couldn't just let this thing exist, right? That would ruin everything, right?

His gaze fell to Meta. Their eyes locked.

"This… this is what you were hidin' from me, ain't it?"

The chill that held his love in a vice finally let up a little, allowing a warmth to leak into his eyes. He hated seeing Meta get like this… He knew it meant he was returning to a very bad time.

"Yes, my king. I… hope you understand."

He just nodded silently. They'd need to talk about this, but that could wait until THIS thing was dealt with. Dedede fell to one knee, holding himself up with his hammer, and reached down. He tilted the Blade's head up until he was forced to look at him.

"Have you even tried to hurt anyone?"

Blade couldn't lie to him. He simply nodded. Yes. At some point, he had tried to hurt Kirby. He'd tried to hurt Gooey. He'd tried to hurt Meta Knight. He even tried to hurt Marx. Dedede's grip on his chin tightened.

"Have you killed anyone here?"

No.

That seemed to give Dedede pause. "How long have you been here?"

"He told me about a week, and that was four days ago."

Dedede cringed at the reminder of how long Meta had been keeping this from him. "Where… where were you all this time..?"

"He…" Meta hesitated and crossed his arms. "He was residing with Gooey and… Kirby."

That almost sent Dedede into a rage, but he pulled back. Logically, it made sense. There was only one person in this world that would be able to keep a Dark Matter under their thumb. And there was only one person in this world that he could imagine a rogue Dark Matter seeking out for help. But still… his mind swirled. Everything about this interaction wasn't going how he wanted.

He didn't want it to happen at all, but he also wished it had been more explosive if it had to exist. As it was, the Dark Matter curled up on the floor, shivering and wounded, did not make for the cathartic revenge experience he craved, or the nightmarish, PTSD-inducing hellhole he feared. He didn't know HOW to feel. Only one question popped to the front of his increasingly delirious, dizzy mind.

"I just… I don't understand… Why? Why now?! Why… why couldn't you just give me a break… just a little longer… Why are you doing this to me?!" His emotions came flooding back in. He lost grip on his hammer and began waving and gesturing with his arms, pacing back and forth. Meta Knight instinctively reached forward to calm him, but Dedede simply threw him off.

"W- was it not ENOUGH!? I tried- I really really tried- I tried so hard- I thought things were gonna be better and- and then YOU had to come back! HOW?! How did you know?! You can't- this isn't FAIR! I can't even- you're not even- I really- I didn't-" He clamped his hands over his head, wanting so much to tear at his scalp again. "I HATE YOU! This is ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT?! You KNOW what you've done, right?! That's why you were hidin', RIGHT? HOW? How did you come back?! Please- I just-"

Dedede lunged forward again and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"TELL ME! TELL ME WHY!"

Blade shook his head violently. No, he couldn't! He'd do anything right now if it just meant he DIDN'T have to answer!

It was at that exact moment that Gooey came crashing through the throne room window, showering stained glass all across the entryway and rolling onto the carpet like a perfectly aimed golf ball.

'""GOOEY?!""'

Gooey shot to his feet and spread his arms wide, his sleeves flaring out like bedsheets. "STOOOOOOP!"

"G- Gooey! I thought I told Rick and Nago to-"

"NO! You shut up! Dealing with! Can't let sibling get hurt!"

Dedede stared blankly at the kid, not quite angry but clearly unsettled. Blade painstakingly turned and stood to face his little sibling.

'What… are you doing here?'

"Saving you! Dummy." Gooey crossed his arms with the cutest little pout on his face. "Won't let Mr. Knight or King hurt sibling! Won't let sibling hurt Mr. Knight or King! No hurt! No one needs be hurt!"

Meta Knight ran his hand through his hair. "My child, I don't think you understand how serious this is. He can't just-"

"CAN. HAS BEEN. No hurt past days! Been good! Won't do wrong!"

"Wait, what?" Dedede asked. "He hasn't… what do you mean he hasn't done anything?"

Gooey shot him a look as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "No hurt. No hurt at all. Can't. Won't. Being happy. Being good. Being…. Person. Like Gooey."

"That… that's not… possible…." But he already knew that wasn't true. He knew from experience, time and time again, that even the worst people could change. He'd seen it. He'd been it.

"Gooey, please," Meta urged. "You can't just believe everything he says and does. I know you love him, and he's your sibling, but he may be taking advantage of your kindness."

"Not possible. No lies. Know fact."

And all three of the adults froze at that statement. "How can you prove that?"

"Said he loves me!"

Meta regurgitated what he knew wasn't true. "Dark Matter are incapable of-"

"LOVED ME! ALWAYS LOVED ME! TOOK CARE OF GOOEY! LET GOOEY LIVED! SAID LOVED GOOEY! YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM FROM ME!"

Meta Knight wasn't sure why he was so adamantly protesting anymore, but he couldn't stop himself. He could tell his king was still shellshocked, so he wouldn't be standing up for himself anytime soon. So he would have to stand in his place.

"He could still be lying, Gooey. You can't prove that he isn't, and it is VERY dangerous for us to assume that. You have to understand that…"

Gooey furrowed his brow, glaring at the floor. Then… he slowly opened his mouth and muttered something.

"...can't hide nothing from me."

"...Eh?"

'I know everything my sibling is thinking, all the time. Because of our connection. He can't hide anything from me. I would know if he was lying.'

'""WHAT?!""' "Why didn't you say this before-" "You can DO that, kid?!" 'Is that true?!'

Gooey deliberately avoided looking at his sibling when he sent a private thought. 'I'm trying to save your skin. Please, don't ruin this for me.' Blade couldn't even nod back.

"Mhm… If lying… would know. So, please, trust Gooey! Trust sibling!"

"Trust is a strong word, child."

"Then… at least don't hurt. Please?"

Dedede met Gooey's desperate, glossy gaze. His piercing, brilliantly colored, undeniably Dark Matter eyes. His eyes flicked to the Blade, still crouching on the ground. Still shivering. Still wounded.

Still terrified.

He shouldn't feel sorry for it. It was to be expected, the way it was reacting. It was just animal instinct.

But he hadn't ever seen a single other Matter besides Gooey act the way he'd been acting this whole conversation. Even when they were on the verge of death, the most he'd seen them do was laugh. Laugh and gloat that their death meant nothing because their Lord would still succeed. They weren't afraid. They weren't cowering. They weren't careful.

They weren't people.

This… creature… was acting like a person. Which meant, despite every cell in his body screaming otherwise, he had to treat him like a person.

He had to do what was right. Even if it hurt. Especially if it hurt.

Dedede sucked in a breath and closed his eyes. After a few moments of silence, of peace that he knew wouldn't return for a very long time, he opened his eyes, wearing as blank an expression as he could.

"I won't hurt him."

"REALLY!?" "Wh- My king!" '...'

"But… I can't let him stay with you two, Gooey."

The boy's heart dropped to his stomach. "Wh… what? Why?!"

"It's not… safe. It's not that I don't think you can't handle it, but you two live far away from everyone else. If somethin' were t'happen… and we couldn't get there in time…"

"Nothing… gonna happen!"

Dedede leveled him with just a look. In that moment, he looked more adult than Gooey had ever seen him before. His protests retracted to the back of his mind.

"But… sibling… where live?"

"Here."

"NO!" Meta Knight shouted, whirling around to face him. "No, you can't do that! Not now!"

"It's for the best," he replied monotonously. "There's more people to keep an eye on him here. But it ain't suffocating."

"I- that may be true but surely there's a better place for him!"

"If he can't go out in public, then this is the best place." Dedede's voice grew more and more emotionless by the second, as if he were deliberately shutting down his mind. If he didn't he wouldn't be able to act clearly or fairly. Or make it more than a few seconds without breaking down.

"C- can vis- visit sibling- right!?" Gooey's voice shook as he threatened to break into tears again. Dedede kneeled down next to him and gave him an approximation of his normal reassuring smile.

"Not yet. But it won't be forever, mkay? We just gotta make sure everything's okay first, okay? Just a few days away."

"...Few days…"

"The festival's coming up soon. How about then?"

"...soon."

The king took that as an affirmation and stood back up, turning to face the Blade. The Dark Matter avoided his gaze. He couldn't stand seeing that expressionless visage… it reminded him too much of… everything that ever went wrong because of him. And now the king was forcing himself to do something like this, even though he knew he shouldn't.

If he knew the king, and he did, he was certain that he wanted nothing more than to let Blade head back to Kirby's and never have to see him ever again. But he was choosing this method of surveillance because he truly believed, deep down in his heart, that this was the best option for everyone involved, including Blade. He was considering everyone… except himself.

Fucking bastard…

"You don't have a say in this by the way, Dark Matter."

'...I assumed not.'

Dedede still cringed at his voice, but not as violently as last time. To hide the crack in his empty facade, he picked up his hammer and motioned to Meta Knight.

"Take Gooey back t' the house, wouldya? And explain everythin' to Kirby too."

"Yes, my king."

"And… we're not done talkin' about this."

"...Of course."

With that, the two siblings were separated. Meta led Gooey out the front exit, while Dedede forced Blade to march ahead of him, out the back exit. There, Bandee was still waiting for them. He nearly launched his spear at Blade before Dedede stopped him and explained what was happening.

"Wh- GREAT KING! What in the WORLD made you think this was a good idea?!"

"Just… trust me on this Bandee, mkay? I got it all figured out."

Now that was a blatant lie. But he also knew he couldn't just kill him or let him roam free. So coming up with a viable compromise between that was close enough to 'having it all figured out.'

The two led Blade to a spare guest room, deep in the labyrinth of halls that comprised the castle. He had access to a window, but he wasn't planning on jumping any time soon. There was an explicit threatening undertone that if he tried anything funny, he'd lose his chance. He understood that, and tried his best to convey it with a nod.

"You're gonna have someone with you at all times when you ain't in your room, and there's gonna always be a guard at this door, you hear?"

He nodded.

"Good. We'll… see where this goes." Dedede paused for a moment, about to shut the door. He decided to steal a line from Susie. "Your cooperation is appreciated."

Bandee shot him a threatening glare and pointed between him and his eyes with two fingers before backing away. With that, the door slammed shut, leaving Blade locked in a relatively unfurnished bedroom.

…..

…..

…This….

Was not the worst possible outcome.

But it was the one he'd wanted the least.

He didn't want to see the king. Or rather, he didn't want the king to see him. He didn't want to HURT the king, and now the king was USING him to hurt himself. Because he… didn't want to hurt Blade? Because he… was a good person. Like Gooey. Like Kirby. Even like Meta Knight. He was so so so close to making Meta Knight fix everything for him… and he messed up. What could he have done differently? He'd hated him so much when they first met, and that should have only grown with each day.

But instead, he broke down, instead of breaking up. He let Blade live, and forced him to meet Dedede. And Dedede, the sentimental freak that he was, let him live as well. Even though he had every right, every REASON to wipe him off the face of the planet.

But he didn't like killing things, because he wasn't a Dark Matter. He was a person. People don't like killing other people, only things that aren't people, like Dark Matter. And, horrifyingly, even the people that should despise him the most viewed him as a person.

He… could still kill them all. He could self-destruct in such a blaze of glory that no one would possibly survive.

And he didn't want to. Because as easy as it would be, he didn't like killing people anymore. He couldn't… hurt them, no matter how simple it would make things. It would make them hate him again. It would make him something acceptable in the framework of this reality. As it was….

The king gave him his own room. Someone was watching him, but he could do as he pleased in this place.

Without him even noticing, dozens of objects around the bedroom began floating in the air, wavering in time with his rage. Like a metronome of agony. They danced and swirled around him violently, thrust through a tornado formed of his own emotions. If he focused enough, he could destroy every single object in this room without even lifting a finger. He could hurt SOMETHING without hurting SOMEONE and he could release all the turmoil he was feeling!

And he couldn't even do that. When he finally realized what he was doing, his telekinesis dropped just as quickly as it started.

Only a few flower vases shattered to ceramic pieces. But it was enough. It was more than he deserved. Blade collapsed to the floor and curled up in the fetal position. He just wanted to go to sleep. He hadn't gotten any last night after all…

But he didn't deserve the comfort of the provided bed, so the floor would have to suffice.

Tears glossed his eye, threatening to fall, so he rolled onto his back to keep them locked in. If only he could kill everyone and not feel bad about it.