To make the narrative easier and more enjoyable for readers, this chapter and the subsequent ones in this mini-arc will be narrated from an omniscient narrator capable of changing points of view. Obviously, while Toni is retelling the events to the others, she doesn't know what Anime Meta Knight was thinking, nor does she share most of her own thoughts.
If we were to put the story in order, this would be this fic's first chapter.
The beggining. Part one: the girl and the vision
Standing near the edge of the celestial island in which the palace where she grew up once stood proudly, Sectonia watched the horizon with the help of binoculars. She was searching across the sky for the silhouette of something in particular, or rather, someone. Sir Arthur's envoy should not take much longer to arrive.
Sectonia hadn't expected such a quick response to her request. Only two days had passed since the incident that had made her call the leader of her lost kingdom's old allies, and, considering that they were busy on the other side of the galaxy, she had guessed that she would have to wait at least a month to receive their help.
Fortunately for her, a Star Warrior resided in one of the Lands Below's kingdoms. An hour after their first contact, Sir Arthur called her back to confirm that this person was willing to help her, that he would show up within twenty-four hours, and that the only thing he needed was the coordinates where he would be allowed to enter Floralia. The only thing left to specify was the length of time that said Star Warrior would be able to stay, as he had a job he couldn't afford to lose.
Thus, Sectonia waited vigilantly for the person Sir Arthur had told him about. The one who, in his prime, was renowned as one of the most powerful Star Warriors to ever exist. That Star Warrior's name was...
"I still can't believe we're going to meet the legendary Meta Knight."
Those words were said by an excited Sectra Dee, who until that moment had been sharpening a spear. He was wearing a blue bandana with the symbol of the Floralia royal family embroidered on one side, although that symbol was repurposed to represent the Resistance.
"Try to calm down, Bandee," Sectonia requested. "The last thing our guest wants is for us to treat him like someone special."
"Of course, of course," he replied, trying to hide his nervousness. "I'll address him with normal respect. No excessive formalities."
Sectonia shook her head, but she let the Sectra Dee be. Bandee was one of the few former servants to her family who had been spared from the tragedy, as most had been captured by NME's forces, never to be seen again. She had to let him enjoy these small joys.
Finally, Sectonia spotted her guest's silhouette flying towards them on an Air Ride machine. She immediately put away her binoculars, closed her eyes, raised her hands to the sky, and chanted a spell that only Floralia's royalty could perform. The clouds that acted as magical protection parted slightly, leaving a hole large enough for a person to pass through.
In the past, generations of her family, including her, had believed that the magical occultation of the sky islands was an infallible defence. They would never have imagined that someone from their own family, a person she had grown up with, would be the one to open the kingdom's doors to its enemies.
"Don't think about him now. He made a deal with the devil and got what he deserved."
"Lady Sectonia?" called a voice behind her, bringing her out of her thoughts.
Sectonia turned to greet the newcomer. At her side, Bandee adopted an excessively rigid posture.
"Greetings, Sir Meta Knight," said the spider politely. "Please, just call me Sectonia. This is Bandee, my right-hand man."
"Ni... Nice to meet you, sir!" the Sectra Dee saluted, a little shyly.
"In that case, I also request that you two drop formalities," he replied. "If we are going to work together, we better do so as equals."
"Fine by me, Meta Knight," Sectonia agreed. At her side, Bandee nodded. "Please, follow us," she indicated to her guest.
"Wait a second, please," he stopped them. "I brought something for you."
Sectonia and Bandee looked at the Star Warrior, intrigued. Meta Knight opened the baggage he had brought with him. On its inside, there was a wide variety of seed bags.
"Oh! Vegetable and fruit seeds from the surface!" Bandee celebrated with joy. "With this we can increase our variety of crops!"
"Is this a courtesy gift from Dream Land's king?" Sectonia tried to guess.
Sir Arthur had told her that Meta Knight was currently working for the king of a tropical kingdom known as Dream Land, so Sectonia had interpreted Meta Knight's baggage as an attempt made by said monarch to make first contact with Floralia through a gift. "If that's the case, I would have to discuss with the council whether we should establish connections with the countries of the Lands Below or not."
Meta Knight's dry scoff cut that idea short.
"The day King Dedede makes a genuine gift without ill intentions, I'll think the world is ending," the Star Warrior said with disappointment and weariness. "This is my own initiative, although my apprentices have also contributed."
"Really? Thank you very much!" exclaimed the Sectra Dee. Then, he turned to Sectonia and asked, "Can I take this to the orchard? I'm sure Petunia will be very happy."
"You don't need to ask for permission, Bandee. See you later," Sectonia said to her companion.
Bandana Sectra Dee closed Meta Knight's baggage and picked it up. Then, he left Sectonia alone with Meta Knight, waddling with joy towards the community orchard.
"Thank you for your gift. You didn't need to be this generous," Sectonia said to Meta Knight.
"It was the least I could do," he replied. Was it Sectonia, or was there some guilt in his words?
"Well, let's go somewhere more private so we can talk about the incident," the spider decided since she didn't know how to reply to Meta Knight's words.
Meta Knight nodded. Sectonia began to guide him towards what once was her kingdom's capital.
The beautiful palace had been reduced to ruins. The city had been luckier, although the most important buildings, such as the school or the hospital, were the first to be destroyed by NME's forces. The company's first step to establish their absolute dominion over the inhabitants of the places they invaded was always taking down the citizens' basic services, thus making them dependent on the company. While every company needs employees, NME used that word to disguise another one: "slaves."
Wherever they passed by, they could see fairies and insectoids working side by side to rebuild the houses and other buildings that had suffered serious damage. Some stopped their tasks for a second to greet Sectonia or look at Meta Knight in admiration. Sectonia had noticed that during the entire time they had been walking in silence, the Star Warrior's eyes had remained green.
"I thought they had completely devastated Floralia. If I had known that there were not only survivors but an entire rebel group, perhaps I would have headed here instead of going to Dream Land..." the knight suddenly said in the same tone of voice he had used before.
Sectonia looked at him. So he did feel guilty. Was it because he thought Floralia's cruel fate was caused by its alliance with the GSA or because he personally had done nothing to come to their aid?
"No one among the survivors holds a grudge against the remaining Star Warriors, the GSA, or you," Sectonia assured him sympathetically, putting one of her hands on his shoulder pad. "Besides, even if you had somehow managed to enter Floralia, your presence here would have made no difference. A lone Star Warrior wouldn't have accomplished much when facing an entire NME settlement," she added before the Star Warrior could say anything to her. "My team and I managed to resist this long because of our deep knowledge of this land. You would have exposed yourself to a certain death, and, from what Sir Arthur told me, you were a key piece in the fall of eNeMeE."
"Arthur and the others give me more credit than I deserve," he admitted, a little dejectedly. "Kirby did the hardest part. I only made sure he reached his destiny."
Kirby. Sectonia remembered clearly the first time she had heard that name.
"I don't think I'll ever forget the day Sir Arthur broadcasted the message of eNeMeE's downfall using NME's own devices. My team and I were retreating after one of our sabotages when, suddenly, all these bastards' screens went from showing the price on our heads to the face of someone everyone thought was dead," Sectonia told Meta Knight. "I thought I was dreaming, especially when he gave the news that eNeMeE had been executed by a Star Warrior named Kirby. That day, hope returned to our land."
Sectonia had no way of knowing, but Meta Knight had smiled warmly under his mask upon hearing those words. In some planets, it's said that green is the colour of hope, but for him, said colour was pink. Although he had never completely lost it, Kirby's arrival in Dream Land had reignited the last spark he had left into a flame.
"Though, to be honest, I'd like to see his face," Sectonia continued. "Why did Sir Arthur decide to reveal only his name? I think the universe should celebrate its greatest hero."
"While it's true that both Kirby and his guardian deserve everyone's praises, they also deserve a peaceful life," answered the Star Warrior. "We don't want 'fans' or potential enemies from all corners of the universe to harass them in their own home. They already have to deal with King Dedede's shenanigans."
Once again, Meta Knight had criticised his current boss. "I'm starting to dislike this Dedede guy..." Sectonia said to herself, slightly irritated.
"I understand, although it's hard to believe that a baby defeated that tyrant," Sectonia remarked.
"And in one single hit. No wonder eNeMeE wanted to get rid of him at all costs."
"Wait. In one single hit? How powerful is that baby?!" Sectonia repeated internally, so perplexed that she didn't dare to ask the question out loud.
They had reached their destination while talking: a building relatively well preserved. It had once been a large warehouse, but since the structure was intact, they had decided to use it as both a makeshift hospital and a coordination point for planning the rebuilding of the city.
Inside, a group of bandaged fairies and insectoids was waiting to be treated. Sectonia led Meta Knight to a more secluded room, chosen as a meeting point in order to not disturb the patients. The room wasn't particularly large, and the chairs and tables within had clearly not been selected because of their looks or how comfortable they were, but because they had been found among the rubble in a functional state.
Meta Knight looked around the room with interest. The walls were filled with plans and maps, while the tables were piled high with papers containing reports and lengthy write-ups related to the reconstruction process. Sectonia invited the Star Warrior to take a seat.
"May I ask you a question?" Meta Knight said as he sat down. Sectonia nodded. "How do you plan to run the kingdom from now on?"
"Well, for starters, it won't be a kingdom. As I told Sir Arthur, there will be no crown on my head. It was a member of my family who ended our peace, so to prevent future abuse of the power that lies in my bloodline, I've decided that the 'Royal Family of Floralia' will die with me," she clarified.
"Besides, I don't plan on having offspring. Right now, there is no room for another person in my heart," she added to herself.
"In that case, who will rule this land?" Meta Knight insisted.
"We have set up a temporary council made up of my fellow Resistance members and representatives of various independent groups of survivors. This council will become the main form of government, and both its final members and leader will be elected by universal suffrage once the reconstruction work is finished. My wish is to let my people choose how we will move forward."
"So you're turning one of the most ancient monarchies in this galaxy into a democracy. It's quite a historical change," the Star Warrior commented.
"Indeed. My only hope is that the new government won't become corrupted over time. Dealing with the old nobility was difficult enough," Sectonia finished, letting out a sigh.
Sectonia remembered with clarity the royal court debates. Sometimes, even her parents had a hard time putting an end to the nobility's crazy and unfair ideas. They went so far as to propose a special tax for the peaceful-by-nature floral fairies as "payment for defending them." Her parents rejected attempts to approve such measures countless times, and she would have followed their example if she had become queen. Or at least that was what she liked to believe.
Once, Sectonia had considered those debates boring and pointless, and thus she hated having to attend them due to her status as first heir to the throne. The former royal princess was always looking for the slightest excuse to avoid them, sometimes even fleeing with Taranza. Her current self, however, couldn't deny that their absence had left a void inside her, alongside everything she had lost from her old life.
"And what about you?" Meta Knight questioned, bringing her back to the present.
"I will accept my position if I am chosen as the leader, but, regardless of the outcome, I will dedicate myself body and soul to protecting each and every one of the inhabitants of my land, be it from external or internal threats," she explained solemnly.
The only thing she hadn't been able to figure out yet was what to do with the sky island's magical protection. Keeping it active would mean that Floralia would become isolated once she was dead, but if it was dispelled, the islands would be way too exposed and vulnerable to external attacks. She hoped she would find a solution before that time came.
"I see. I wish you the best of luck in facing such a radical change," Meta Knight said.
"Thank you. We are going to need it," Sectonia replied with a weary smile.
"Well, let's get to the point of this meeting," the Star Warrior stated. "Sir Arthur has briefly told me about the incident from two days ago, but can you give me all the details?"
Sectonia nodded and began to narrate what happened.
Sectonia was leading the hospital's reconstruction when, suddenly, Bandee had run to her, alarmed. He told her that a strange being had appeared out of nowhere in the central plaza and was attacking everyone who crossed its path. Sectonia rushed to rescue her people without a second thought.
Once the former princess arrived at the scene, she was greeted by screams of horror and several of her fellow citizens fleeing. Some of them had been wounded by a sharp object. A Sectra Knight ran past her, carrying in his arms a badly injured blue fairy.
And in the middle of all the chaos, there was a girl.
While the girl was of another species, she didn't seem to be much older than Sectonia, at least physically. Her long pink hair was tousled and dirty, her face was full of scars, and her clothes were little more than rags. In one hand she held firmly a rudimentary javelin, while the other one was missing. However, nothing about her appearance was as staggering as the strange aura that surrounded her, similar to a hologram with signal errors or a corrupted digital image.
Still, Sectonia didn't let herself be intimidated by the strange, creepy girl. She advanced steadily towards her and, raising her rapiers, demanded with fury:
"Stop right there! I won't tolerate you bringing more harm to my people!"
The girl fixed her blue eyes on Sectonia. Her gaze was deranged and devoid of reason.
"̵̘̉N̴͔̚U̸̼͠S̸͎͋Ḱ̶͈"̶͌ͅ
"Where is that unnatural sound coming from?" Sectonia warily wondered.
"̸͍̓C̶̎ͅṈ̷͝K̵̨̎X̷̫̋K̴̳̈́ ̶̱͋O̴͖͛Y̶̲̔ ̶̗̾S̴̫͂E̴̋ͅ ̵̬̉N̵̛̬U̷̖̐S̶͖͑K̷̺͐?̶̨̔ ̴͍͂Ȍ̵̦ ̷͙̀C̶̝̽G̷̮̎T̵̝̽Z̶̝͠ ̶̯́Z̷̮̉U̷̓ͅ ̷͓̂M̷̘̈U̶̧͆ ̶̩́N̷̬͊U̶̬͘S̸̢͗Ḳ̷͝.̴͔̈́ ̸̳̅Ő̶͎ ̸͕̈S̶͍͗A̴̓ͅY̵̩͗Ź̴̞ ̴̢̄M̴̹̚U̶͎̽ ̸͈͂N̴̢̒U̸͍͐S̶̻̄K̶͍̆.̴̥̌"̵͕̽
Unless Sectonia's hearing was deceiving her, the sound was coming from the girl. How was she making it? Was it some sort of distraction tactic?
"̴̞͉̑M̸̱͚̉K̴̺̒Z̴̢̀ ̷̦͓͊̽U̸͎̫͠A̵̕ͅZ̴̪̓ ̸̼́Ũ̴͍L̶̤̊̐ ̵̛͙͎͂S̵̺̪̈̓Ę̶̛͖̏ ̸̢̢̄C̶̲͐̈́G̷̙̥̚E̴̮̫͗!̵̤̒"̵̳̫̿́
Wielding her javelin like it was a combat spear, the "girl" lunged at her like a feral beast. Sectonia parried her attack with ease, the javelin flying through the air. The girl backed away, staring at Sectonia like an animal that could attack at any moment.
Given its animalistic behaviour and wild appearance, Sectonia deduced that the being in front of her wasn't a girl but a monster created by eNeMeE. "It must have escaped from a bunker that we are yet to find. I must finish it before it hurts more people," she decided.
Then, the monster pulled out some kind of flint knife from its rags and, once more, lunged at Sectonia with the intent to stab her. A simple attack like that would work on weaker, skittish, or less intelligent foes, but not on Floralia's seasoned protector. Sectonia waited until the creature was close enough to her, dodged the attack with elegance, and, in a quick movement, pierced the monster's body with one of her rapiers, leaving it suspended in the air a few centimetres away from her.
The creature froze for a second, staring in stupefaction at the blade that now pierced it from side to side. The pain and shock forced it to drop the knife. Once the monster girl's brain had processed what was happening, it frantically tried to yank the rapier out of its body but soon lost its strength.
Alongside a sound that somehow conveyed a deep despair, tears began to well up in the monster's eye.
"̶͕̍T̴̥̄U̷̹̒.̶̜̃.̶̮̽.̵͔͌T̷̰̈́Ṷ̷̀Z̸̺̍ ̴̨̾N̵̞̓K̵̥͌X̸̥̄K̷̢͛.̷͍́ ̸̧͐Z̸̘̾N̵̻̉Ō̷̮Y̴̯̐.̵̰̆.̷͖̾.̴̫̓ ̶̙͂O̷̲͑Y̸̠̾T̸͈̂'̸̹͝Z̸̲̑ ̴͎̉N̴̲̋U̷̩͌S̸͔͘K̴͓̃.̷̗̄.̶̱̅.̶̙̽"̴͚̓
Sectonia gasped. She had never seen an NME creation weep. The spider withdrew the rapier, trembling not from fear but from anguish, and the monster collapsed to the ground.
"̷J̶G̴J̴,̸"̸ the monster cried as it raised its hand to the sky.
And then, the girl vanished into digital-looking particles, leaving behind three petal-shaped crystals.
Once Sectonia was done retelling the incident, Meta Knight meditated for a few seconds, searching in his memories for something that could link eNeMeE to the monster girl's attack.
"I'm sorry. Despite my vast knowledge of eNeMeE's creations, I've never seen or heard of anything like this," Meta Knight finally spoke. Sectonia had to hide her disappointment. "Still, I'll do my best to help you find out what it was. Tell me, did you keep the date from the NME's projects carried out here?"
"Yes. While we destroyed the monsters and poisonous plants and dismantled the factories, we decided to keep all the computers and documents just in case the refounded GSA requested them, although I planned to destroy them after some time passed," Sectonia explained. "For safety reasons, only I can access the chamber where they are kept, but I will gladly take you there."
"That would be a good starting point to figure out where that monster came from and what its purpose was. One more thing: do you still have the crystals that the creature left behind after it vanished?"
Sectonia retrieved a small bag from one of her cloak's inner pockets. Then, she extracted the three crystals from it and placed them on the table. Just as the spider had said, they were shaped like petals, and, given their different forms, each one seemed to belong to a different kind of flower, although none that Meta Knight could recognise.
"More than figuring out what the deal with the monster girl was, I need help to find out what these are," Sectonia exposed, pointing at the crystals. "I don't know what material they're made of, but they seem to be indestructible. Also, I can detect some kind of energy inside them with my magic, although I haven't managed to get a reaction from them when applying it."
"Are they dangerous?" Meta Knight asked cautiously.
"I don't think so. I haven't noticed any adverse effects while studying them, and none of my companions have detected unusual changes in my behaviour, so I have ruled out that they are some kind of artefact that corrupts people, at least in the short term. But, just in case, I haven't let anyone else get close to them," Sectonia explained. "I do, however, have noticed something very strange. While one of them functions pretty much like a normal crystal, when I look through the other two, I see 'nothing,'" she finished, rearranging the petals to separate the one she had labelled as normal from the rest.
"What do you mean by nothing?" Meta Knight asked, puzzled by the way she had said that.
"Absolutely nothing. It's like some kind of void. I can't describe it with words, but I find it quite unnerving," Sectonia revealed.
"Can I take a look at them?" the Star Warrior asked. "I'm more familiar with eNeMeE's magical powers, so I might be able to detect something else."
"Of course."
Meta Knight grabbed one of the crystals that, according to Sectonia, showed that "nothingness," and closed his eyes. Just as the spider had said, he could perceive energy pulsating inside it, but it felt different from eNeMeE's magic. Meta Knight opened his eyes and looked up through the crystal.
What he saw on the other side didn't match what Sectonia had described.
"Just to be sure, did this crystal show you that void?" Meta Knight asked, confused.
"Yes," she confirmed, even more confused by the question. "Why do you ask that?"
"Because I see something completely different. It's a bit blurry, but I think it's a piece of paper resting on wood," the Star Warrior described.
"That's new," Sectonia said in surprise. The spider gestured to Meta Knight to let her check the crystal, the Star Warrior returning it willingly. Sectonia looked through it for a few seconds from different angles before giving up and handing the crystal back to the knight. "I still see that void. Maybe only Star Warriors can see something on the other side?"
"I don't know," Meta Knight answered, his voice filled with doubt.
This time he stared at it for more than a couple of seconds. And the more he looked at it, the more he felt the crystal absorb his gaze, and the clearer he saw what was on the other side. The paper was on a fine wooden desk, and his own hand was writing on it in a language he didn't know.
"Maybe I should stop looking through the crystal," Meta Kningt's more cautious side recommended, as something capable of capturing someone's perception could be very dangerous.
Meta Knight shook his head, making the feeling of being absorbed by the crystal disappear. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel very curious about what the crystal had shown him. Was it some kind of vision? And, in that case, what did it mean? Why was he writing?
In the end, curiosity beat caution. Meta Knight needed to know more about what he had just seen, so he needed to think of something to prevent possible risks.
"Sectonia, this is going to sound very strange, but I need you to immobilise me," he asked his companion.
"Uh, why?" she asked, weirded out by the strange and sudden request.
"The crystal somehow alters my perception, so I don't want to risk losing control while looking through it. While I don't' feel eNeMeE's power inside it, the crystal could still be one of his tricks. I can't put anyone in danger just to satisfy my own curiosity," he explained.
"Are you sure about this?" Sectonia asked him. "You'll be in a very vulnerable position once I trap you, and we don't know what the crystal will do to your mind…" she warned him.
"Yes. I trust you."
"What do you mean you trust me? We just met! You'd think a war veteran would be more careful..." Sectonia thought, though she didn't share her frustration with the Star Warrior.
"Fine. If you believe this will help us to figure out what the crystals are, I'll do it," she reluctantly accepted.
Meta Knight placed the crystal on the table, just in front of him. Then, he made a gesture to Sectonia to indicate that she could proceed. The spider made a strange movement with her hands, which began to glow. Meta Knight soon found himself tied up in a solid spider web.
Meta Knight stared at the crystal once again. This time, he let it "absorb" him more and more until he was no longer in Floralia but right in front of the paper. His arm was moving on its own, and he couldn't feel it. It was like watching a movie from the protagonist's point of view.
"And it's done," a deep voice startled him. "Why Dedede tasked me to write a 'kid-friendly' speech for the tournament's inauguration ceremony is something I won't ever understand. He knows I'm bad at this…" the voice added in a tired tone as Meta Knight saw his own hand put the paper in an envelope.
A speech for a tournament? What was that voice talking about? In fact, where was it coming from? Given its proximity and the words it had said, it seemed to come from inside him, but his voice didn't sound like that.
Meta Knight saw his body jump up from his chair. He was in a cabin, and, since an icon made with his initial decorated several of the objects in the room, it probably belonged to him. It also looked a lot like the one he had prepared for him on the Halberd, though he never got to use it. There was no one else in the room, so the strange voice he had heard was indeed his own.
" Maybe I'm seeing the future. If so, it seems that I will eventually carry out my plan to repair the Halberd. But why does my voice sound so strange? Not only does it sound way deeper, but it's also missing something."
Meta Knight tried to look around to examine the cabin, but he couldn't. He quickly reminded himself that his real body was immobilised by Sectonia's web. Then, he noticed one crucial detail: earlier, he had left the vision when he had shaken his head.
"If movement is required to return to reality, I may have a problem," Meta Knight realised. "Though it's most probable that just stopping to look at the crystal will do the trick," he deduced.
To check this, he decided to close his eyes for a few seconds. Once he opened them, instead of looking at the crystal, he redirected his view elsewhere. The vision had dissipated, and Sectonia was sitting in front of him, watching him intently.
"Is everything okay, Meta Knight?" Sectonia asked him, noticing that he was no longer staring at the crystal.
"Yes. I was checking if I could exit the vision whenever I want," he informed him. "It worked."
"That's good to know. Have you finished?" Sectonia asked him. She was eager to hear a positive answer, since inside she was thinking, "I hope nobody comes in right now, because being seen with Meta Knight tied up like this is going to be very awkward.
"No. I don't have enough information yet," he replied, much to Sectonia's dismay.
"And being limited to the point of view of this 'future me' doesn't help," Meta Knight added to himself. It would be much more efficient if he could explore the vision freely.
Meta Knight's put his mind inside the crystal for the third time. His "future self" had left the cabin and was walking down a familiar hallway. He was on the Halberd, or at least in a very similar warship. On his way to the upper exit, the "future" Meta Knight crossed his path with Blade, who was waiting in front of a door. As soon as he saw him, the warrior stood firm.
"Good morning, sir," Blade greeted him in a more serious tone than usual. Although Blade respected him, he normally didn't speak to him as a soldier would treat his superior.
"Good morning, Blade," the "future" Meta Knight greeted back, with respect but without the usual trust and closeness. "Waiting for your turn to use the combat simulator?"
"Yes, sir. I don't neglect my training even on my free day."
"Your attitude is remarkable. Keep being so diligent, and you'll become a great warrior," Meta Knight approved.
"Thank you, sir!" clearly containing his joy at Meta Knight's praise.
"If this is the future, why does my relationship with Blade feel purely professional?" Meta Knight wondered, worried about how coldly Blade and he had regarded each other.
His future self continued walking until he reached the ship's deck. There he found a Waddle Dee checking a list from top to bottom. They wore a sailor hat.
"Oh. Hello, sir!" The Waddle Dee exclaimed cheerfully upon seeing him, leaving Meta Knight quite dumbfounded. "Leaving already?"
"A talking Waddle Dee? What is going on?" Meta Knight internally exclaimed.
"Yes. I shouldn't make Dedede wait for too long," the other Meta Knight replied. "Make sure the others don't neglect their duties in my absence," he instructed.
"You can count with me, sir. Be careful and have a nice day!"
Although the Waddle Dee spoke to him respectfully, their tone was more similar to the one Blade and Sword used with him. Who was this Waddle Dee, and why did they seem to have "replaced" his apprentice?
"This is way too strange. It's like I'm seeing an alternate reality rather than the future..." the Star Warrior pondered.
Besides that, the fact that his "vision" self was going to meet with Dedede, alongside the mention of the speech being a task imposed by the king, confirmed that in this future, illusion, alternate reality, or whatever it was, he was still at the service of King Dedede. How unfortunate.
His other self approached the edge of the ship. The Halberd was flying over a colourful landscape that Meta Knight didn't recognise. Were they on Dream Land at all? Another peculiarity was that while in reality it was almost nighttime, in the vision it was still morning.
Suddenly, the vision's Meta Knight jumped out of his ship and began to descend through the sky, plummeting towards the ground. "How reckless. Either this version of me is completely insane or..."
...He could fly. His vision self could fly.
A pang of nostalgia stabbed Meta Knight's heart as he saw the shadow of his wings projecting onto the clouds below him. Since he was seeing everything in first person, it was almost like he was the one flying. When was the last time he had flown without the help of external tools? How much he wished he could do pirouettes and twirls just like he had done in his youth, how much he wished to feel the wind on his wings, but unfortunately he was just a mere spectator in "his own body."
Downhearted, he decided to simply watch the vision continue.
The other Meta Knight soon arrived at a strange building that could either be a fortress or a small castle. Its front facade vaguely resembled an angry face, which he found kind of goofy. His other self, instead of entering by the gate like a normal person, flew through a window directly into the throne room.
There, Dedede was waiting for him with his arms crossed, an annoyed expression on his face. "So, this castle is Dedede's? It looks totally different from what he fancies. The illumination is way better, and the colours are more pleasant. Though, there are way too many decorations with his logo…" Meta Knight analysed from his limited point of view.
"For Nova's sake, Meta. Had I not opened the windows earlier, you would have destroyed that one!" Dedede exclaimed.
Meta Knight felt a rage ignite inside of him when he heard Dedede say his name. How dared that tyrant call him just Meta?! Only three people were allowed to call him that, and two of them…
… two of them were dead.
"This is no time for grief or melancholy. Let's focus on this strange vision," he ordered himself.
"Hello, Dedede. I brought what you asked for," the other Meta Knight announced very casually, handing the king of Dream Land the envelope containing the paper he had been writing earlier. He hadn't cared in the slightest that Dedede had called him Meta, nor had he made an effort to treat the penguin with royal courtesy or, at least, feign respect for the self-proclaimed king's "authority."
Dedede opened the envelope, pulled out the paper, and began to read it. His face changed completely as he looked over the first few lines.
"Meta Knight, what language did you write this in?" the king asked. He sounded more alarmed than angry.
"In the language of a small planet in the neighbouring galaxy. I learnt it in my younger days. That way no one will be able to tell what it says until I read it in the ceremony. It will be a surprise," the other Meta Knight answered in a cheeky tone.
"Then, how am I supposed to check it to make sure you have complied with the 'kid-friendly' part?!" the frightened king exclaimed.
"You'll have to trust me," the other Meta Knight replied, mockingly.
"Meta, I'd trust you with my life, but I know how unhinged you can get with this kind of stuff, so… "Dedede began to say but stopped halfway, as if he had realised something. "Wait a second. You are just messing with me as punishment for giving this task to you, aren't you?" Dedede guessed, giving him a deadpan look.
Meta Knight's other self chuckled. It was a laugh very similar to his own, although deeper.
"This way you'll think twice before assigning me the tasks you don't want to do," the other Meta Knight said, amused. "This is the real one. Sailor proofreaded it and has approved it as 'for all ages,'" he added as he pulled a second envelope out of his cape.
Dedede rolled his eyes as he put the envelope away in his coat.
"I'll check it when we're done training. I have some news you'll like. Leon and Carol have decided to participate in the tournament," Dedede informed the knight with a cheerfully eager, genuine smile, very uncharacteristic of him.
"Oh, really?" the other Meta Knight asked, his interest piqued. "Kirby told me that they were formidable rivals when he fought them separately, so together they must be a force to be reckoned with. I'm looking forward to measuring our skills against them," he added with calm enthusiasm.
"That is if Kirby and Bandee don't defeat them first. Although I could always rig the brackets to make sure we face them in the first round," the king commented in a mischievous tone.
"Dedede, no. You're the organiser, so no cheating. You have to give a good image," Meta Knight scolded him.
"I was joking, I was joking," the king laughed. "I wouldn't ruin a charity tournament for something like this. Besides, Kirby would surely get mad at me if I did something like that..."
Meta Knight didn't miss Dedede's expression fading a little at the mention of Kirby.
"Are you sure this plan is a good idea?" the other Meta Knight suddenly asked in a more serious tone. It was clear that he hadn't missed that change in the king's expression either.
"Yes," Dedede said, determined. "I don't remember much of what happened when I was forced to fight Kirby in the Forgotten Land, but I think that I did something that scared him when I went into full 'feral' mode, something that he refuses to tell me. I'm sure that's why he's been rejecting my recent challenges. I need to face him in battle so he can see that I'm completely myself again."
"You know how Kirby is, Dedede. Give him some time, and it will be as if nothing ever happened. After all, the waters always flow back to their bed," Meta Knight assured.
Meta Knight wasn't able to understand most of that conversation. A charity tournament hosted by Dedede, a story about a Forgotten Land he knew nothing about, and most shockingly, a Dedede who cared about what Kirby thought of him. And what was Sectonia's assistant's part in all of that?
But perhaps what had shaken Meta Knight the most was the relationship between Dedede and Meta Knight himself.
That Dedede hadn't been angry because Meta Knight had messed with him. That Dedede didn't treat Meta Knight with contempt and disdain. That Dedede made Meta Knight part of his plans. That Dedede would trust Meta Knight with his life.
That Meta Knight played pranks on Dedede and suffered no retaliation. That Meta Knight wanted to fight alongside Dedede against formidable enemies. That Meta Knight let Dedede call him just Meta. That Meta Knight supported Dedede, not only in his plans but also in stuff that troubled him.
He didn't behave like that with anyone, not since he had lost Jecra and Garlude. How was it possible that the vision's Meta Knight had such a bond with Dedede of all people?
"Who are you?" he wanted to ask them.
Meta Knight needed time to think about what he had just seen, so he decided to leave the vision. Besides, his host had been "alone" all the time, which was quite inconsiderate of him.
Repeating the same thing he had done before, Meta Knight returned to reality.
"Meta Knight?" Sectonia asked him, noticing his gaze on her once more.
"I'm done for today," the Star Warrior informed. "You can untie me."
Sectonia nodded and dispelled her magic, the web disappearing as if it had never been there. Still sitting in the chair, Meta Knight stretched to get rid of the numbness caused by the time he had been still.
"So, what did you see?" Sectonia asked him, intrigued.
Meta Knight told Sectonia everything he had witnessed in that vision as objectively as possible, without revealing his own thoughts.
"Most likely, what the crystal has shown me is another reality," he finished.
"Another reality..." she repeated thoughtfully. "Are you sure?"
"It's the only thing that makes sense," Meta Knight insisted.
"I don't doubt your word, but why can't I see it?"
"I don't know. There are too many things I don't get about all this, so I must continue studying the visions of the crystals," Meta Knight revealed. "I still have to look at the other two."
Sectonia contemplated the crystals thoughtfully.
"What could be their purpose? And what did that "monster girl" have to do with them?"
"It is possible that eNeMeE used them to spy on other realities, perhaps in order to invade them," Meta Knight theorised.
"Wasn't one enough for that bastard?" Sectonia asked without hiding her disgust.
"Souls as greedy and dark as his are never satisfied," the Star Warrior claimed. "As for the monster, it could simply be a 'guard dog' of the place where he hid the crystals. But why did he choose Floralia for such a purpose?" he added thoughtfully. "Let's check what his minions left here when you expelled them. Hopefully, we will find something that will bring some light onto this."
Meta Knight stood up from his chair, but immediately a feeling of dizziness invaded him.
"Are you okay?!" Sectonia asked, worried.
"Yes. It's just fatigue..."
His head felt a bit dull, and he had a slight headache. It seemed that in the end there was indeed an adverse effect on looking through the crystals for too long. He planned to go back into the vision as many times as necessary until he could make sense of everything he had seen, but he would try to shorten the following sessions.
"Oh, of course. Between the air travel, the walk here, and now this vision thing, you must be exhausted," Sectonia realised. "I'll accompany you to your room."
"But what about the investigation?"
"It's getting quite late, and you don't seem to be in good condition," Sectonia replied as she put the crystals away. "We'll be more efficient if you're well rested. Besides, those documents and devices aren't going to move without my consent as long as I live."
Meta Knight found the way Sectonia had said that somewhat sinister. What kind of seal would she have used to prevent NME's data from being stolen? He decided it was best not to think about it and simply followed Sectonia.
Meta Knight's accommodation was just a small room in which someone had placed a bed and a box that served as a nightstand. On the box, someone had left a basket of fruit that seemed to be dinner. Sectonia apologised for the scarcity, but Meta Knight said that it was more than enough for him. The Star Warrior knew that he couldn't ask more of the inhabitants of a land that had gone through so much suffering. Besides, he had slept in way worse places and circumstances.
Sectonia and the Star Warrior parted ways until the next day. While they waited in bed for sleep to take them, each one thought about what the crystal had shown Meta Knight. Sectonia could not stop wondering why she only saw that strange "nothingness" when Meta Knight saw a whole living world. Meta Knight, for his part, couldn't stop thinking about his other self and why some things in that alternate life awakened in his heart a feeling someone of his age and experience should be able to subdue.
That feeling was envy.
— — —
That night, unbeknownst to Sectonia and Meta Knight, the crystal that the spider had labelled as "normal" lit up for the first time since it had appeared in that world.
[Initiating connection...]
I have the second important exam at the end of this month, so it's very likely that there won't be more updates until March. I hope that after that, the update schedule will go back to being "at least one chapter per month.".
With that said, here you have the clean codes. This time they are way shorter.
NUSK
CNKXK OY SE NUSK? O CGTZ ZU MU NUSK. O SAYZ MU NUSK.
MKZ UAZ UL SE CGE!
TU...TUZ NKXK. ZNOY... OYT'Z NUSK...
JGJ
PS: Just to clarify, the echo Sectonia "killed" was not the anime version of Susie