Sakura Dee|さくら•ディー

Sometimes, I wonder if Meta Knight's uncanny ability to always be right isn't ever painful. Surely it isn't fair on a universal scale for one being to be gifted with such nigh-psychic abilities without having to suffer any consequences. Heck, they might as well call him Sir Meta Knight the Always-Right.

The Always-Right Sir Meta Knight? The Always-Rightly Sir Meta the Knightly?

I dunno. It sounded better in my head.

Anyway, as you've probably already guessed, Meta Knight was telling the honest truth when he said that the little ones would slow us down. However, I believe he understated the matter quite a bit. And since he always ends up being the one that's right and I always end up being the one that's wrong and it's happened to me once again over a matter of such import, you'll have to excuse the mild bitterness which I am experiencing at the moment.

In all fairness, our painfully-slow pace is not in any way Bandanna Dee's fault. I could have easily carried him much farther than I actually did (which was barely outside of the Cappy Town city limits, in all honesty). No, our slow-going is to be blamed on one puff, and one puff alone.

Going by process of elimination, I am sure you can guess who.

Groaning in frustration which is beginning to border on anger, I grab Kirby's paw and drag him back onto the weather-worn, not-often-travelled path which goes through a mostly-cleared section of Whispy Woods towards Cookie Country on the other side. Once again, the little pink guy's noticed some food, real or imagined, somewhere off the trail, either by sight, smell, or his seemingly-miraculous Kirby Food Radar (patent pending), and just has to try and go eat it. Thanks to this process which just keeps being repeated over and over again, we haven't been able to fly for most of the time we've been on this little just-begun 'quest.'

While Kirby makes unnatural whimpering and whining noises of protest, I continue to keep an iron grip on his paw and continue dragging him down the path while Bandanna Dee stares at the two of us disbelievingly and Meta Knight sourly glares out at the universe several feet ahead of the rest of us. Looking up at the quickly-lowering sun, I make a grunting noise and comment, "It's been three hours and we haven't even gone twice that many miles."

Under his breath, Meta Knight remarks, "It's been three hours and we haven't even gone that many miles, if we're being honest." Easily sensing my unimpressed stare at his back, he shrugs it off and tells me flatly, "I'd say 'I told you so,' but it is not considered honorable to mock a lady."

"Spare me the niceties, O Chivalrous One," I mutter, rolling my eyes, tugging on Kirby harder as he starts making a half-gurgling, half-whining noise of longing and he reaching one paw out toward a wild tomato plant growing several feet off the path. At this point, he's quit attempting to walk (whether on purpose or not, I don't even know) so I'm having to quite literally drag him along our 'merry' way. Huffing in impatience, I let out, "For goodness' sake, Kirby, they probably don't even taste good. They're wild."

"Awawawawa," Kirby replies yearningly, still not sounding like anything natural. "So... hungry... starving... gonna die, poyo... Need... food... Foooooooood..."

Narrowing my eyes, I hunker down and continue dragging him along the road, knowing full well he's already eaten four meals worth of 'snacks, poyo' from the roadside smorgasbord in the past hour alone. "I know I shouldn't even ask, but at this rate, how long will it take us to get to Cookie Country?"

Meta Knight lets out a snort of derision. So much for not mocking a lady, I guess. "At this rate? Perhaps a week, if the weather holds, although that might very well not be soon enough to save Dreamland from her newest foe. We're making less than a mile per hour, and the Woods are not safe to travel at night; at least, certainly not when there is a villain of such magnitude about. Of course, we should have been able to get to Cookie Country sometime just after sunset, but then again, it is always so much more entertaining to take the Scenic Buffet Route, isn't it?"

Kirby lets out another heart-wrenching, grieving sound of sadness as we pass a berry bush which I'm like ninety percent positive is Poison Hemlock. What is his stomach made out of, scrap iron? Radioactive steel alloy? Honestly, it's probably better for my sanity that I don't know the answer.

Now taking on the tone of a sage adviser, Meta Knight suggests innocently, "We might be able to get back to the castle before nightfall, and find someone else to accompany us on our journey..."

Resisting the urge to correct him and say that it's my journey, I shake my head once. "These two are coming with us; I don't care if I have to drag Kirby all the way across Dreamland." Kirby begins emitting a keening noise as the Poison Hemlock grows farther and farther away since I continue to tug him along. Grimacing, I promise myself that he can't do this the whole time. Eventually he's gonna wake up and smell the imminent danger to the planet, right? Doesn't he always? I hope?

Bandanna Dee shoots his best friend a look of concern for his sanity, one eyebrow raised and spear trailing in the dust as he lazily drags it along behind him.

Meanwhile, Meta Knight gives a sigh of obvious frustration. "While you might have the patience of a saint and the ability to put up with Kirby's creative musical compositions for however long it takes us to find our enemy, I can only be so long-suffering, my friend."

I begin to feel just a little bit anxious about Meta Knight's quickly-souring mood. "You don't have any plans of ditching us, do you?"

He huffs as if the statement is a vile affront towards his honor, which knowing him, it probably is. "Of course not. It would never be proper to abandon a lady and two children in the middle of dangerous woods."

Exhaling in irritation, I remind him, "It's not like the 'lady' can't protect herself, you know."

Shrugging, he states flatly, "I never said she couldn't. Nevertheless, she is still a lady, and it would be shameful for me to leave her— and two children— entirely alone in dangerous woods."

Kirby starts pitching a hissy fit and shedding giant alligator tears as we pass a wild, bramble-ridden strawberry bush. "Strawberries, poyo... No keep strawberries from Kirby... Please, no be cruel to sweet, hero, super-good Kirby..."

"Oh, for crying out loud," I moan. Finally resorting to inhaling Kirby in through my face, I grab Bandanna Dee and place him on top of my head as he stares at me in something resembling mute horror. Trying to ignore how terribly ridiculous I must look at the moment, I ball both of my gloves up into fists and start plodding forward as quickly as I can push myself when I'm carrying one puffball in my mouth and another on my head.

Meta Knight chuckles in pity from where he's picked up the pace a bit just in front of me. "At least now we are making slightly better time. We might be able to reach Cookie Country in about five days... assuming we don't make any stops to rest, that is."

Unable to answer, I shoot his back a glare made of pure daggers, ice, and spite, brewed together in the darkest depths of irritation by a fire heated by unbridled wrath, and then aged to agitated perfection in a cask made of pure aggravation. Unfortunately, his only reaction is another half-hearted chuckle, which only makes my bad mood intensify even further.

Eventually, Kirby somehow fights his way back out of my face and tumbles out onto the ground. "Yuck, poyo," he groans in utter disgust, his expression now as unnatural as the earlier sounds he was making.

Shooting him a glare made from the same special recipe as the one I gave Meta Knight earlier, I threaten in a growl, "Pay attention to what we're actually supposed to be doing, or I'll put you back in there." When he just makes a face at me in return, I grunt, "Don't think I won't, mister."

Sticking his tongue out at me, he puffs up and floats up into the air several feet, putting as much distance between the two of us without losing the group as he can. Bandanna Dee gives a sigh of relief on my head, evidently glad that Kirby is no longer at risk of being accidentally, ironically turned into a Copy Ability.

Rolling my eyes, I sigh deeply. "No wonder the Waddle Dees never take road trips. This is beyond miserable."

Matching my sigh with one just as deep, if not deeper, as Kirby's floating forces us to slow down substantially again, Meta Knight snaps his wings out and takes flight with one single, heavy stroke. "I am going to scout up ahead. I will stay within hearing distance, by which I mean that if all three of you start screaming at the same time because something has attacked you, I will be able to hear and return in time to save your lives."

"Thank you for your kind concern, great and magnanimous sensei," I mutter up at him, voice absolutely dripping with sarcasm.

Giving me an unimpressed glance, Meta Knight orders, "I will try and find a place to safely make camp for the night. Catch up as quickly as is possible, will you? Try to arrive sometime before dawn if you wish to rest tonight." With that, he flies away into the late afternoon sky.

Thoroughly offended, I quicken my pace, hoping Kirby will find it somewhere within himself to be able to keep up. Wanting to be helpful, Bandanna Dee awkwardly tumbles off my head and starts walking quickly by my side. Shooting him a grateful glance, I continue plodding ahead at a decent pace, but still feel discouraged by the way the sun just keeps on sinking lower towards the horizon. Starting to feel just a bit depressed, I wonder to myself, How in Dreamland can I get these two slowpokes to go any faster? Are we gonna be stuck at Escargoon's default speed for this whole trip?

Heaving a sigh, I just cross my gloves and stop in the middle of the path. There's an unfamiliar growling deep inside me, although I'm unsure who exactly it's directed at. It's not Bandanna Dee, for sure; I know that much, at least. On the other hand, I can't really tell if it's meant for Kirby or Meta Knight. Whoever it's caused by, I at least know that I'm definitely not happy right now.

Apparently Kirby and Bandanna Dee both view my stopping in frustration as a decree that we're pausing to rest, seeing as how Bandanna Dee stops short just behind me and plops into a sitting position, and Kirby lands and sits down too, back leaned against his friend. Rolling my eyes, I stare off into space in the general direction Meta Knight went, wishing I could somehow teleport all three of us to Cookie Country. The idea of getting there before Meta Knight and being able to snarkily ask him what took him so long is more than a little bit tempting. Unfortunately, as far as I know, there's no possible way to do that.

"Well," I finally mutter bitterly, to no one in particular. "Now what?"

Ever helpful, Kirby chirps, "You could tell story like every day, poyo."

Even though my first reaction is to shout at him that I don't exactly have any books to read from at the moment, something inside my mind somewhere makes me stop short as my mental wheels start slowly turning. "A story?" I repeat slowly. Kirby and his Waddle Dee buddy both nod eagerly, eyes wide and expectant. Narrowing my eyes, still looking off into space, I think for a long moment, and then can't help but internally smirk as everything comes together.

Oh, I'll tell them a story, all right. And unless I'm gravely mistaken, this story will get them up and moving better than anything else I could bribe or threaten with.

Sighing tiredly, I sit down so I'm leaned back against both kids' sides here in the middle of the dusty path, and pretend to cast a concerned glance up at the quickly-lowering sun. "Well... I dunno if we have time for a story..."

"Pleeeeease," Kirby squeals. Bandanna just eagerly tugs on my cape.

With a grunt of faked irritation, I groan, defeated, "Fiiine." Closing my eyes, I think for a moment about how best to start this. A moment later, I say suddenly, "Once upon a time, there were two friends, a young Star Warrior, and a slightly-less-young Waddle Dee. They were just like you two, always getting into mischief together, always at each other's side. You practically couldn't ever find one without the other." Pausing, I open one eye, testing their reactions so far. Judging by their attentive silence behind me, I think I've already got a captive audience on my hands. Keeping my gloves crossed, I close my eyes again and continue weaving my tale. "One day, these two friends embarked on a grand quest to save the world— and not for the first time, by any means. There was said to be a dreadful monster hiding somewhere in Dreamland, and it was their task to find and destroy it."

"Betcha the Star Warrior finds and beats monster in nothin' flat, poyo," Kirby giggles.

"Are you gonna listen or not?" I retort in slight impatience. When no one replies, I go on with the story. "Now, you see, what they didn't know about this monster was that while they were just starting out looking for it, it had been looking for them for quite awhile now. The other thing they didn't know, was that it was behind them. Every wise soldier and hero knows that you never want your enemy at your back."

Kirby tugs on my cape, interrupting. "Why not at back, poyo?"

Trying to hide my intensifying impatience, I sigh, "Because if your enemy is behind you, he can get right at whatever it is that you're trying to protect from him, first of all, and secondly, he can sneak up on you and attack you from there."

"Oh," Kirby states flatly. "So monster behind is bad, poyo."

"Mm-hmm," I agree, then go back to the story. "The good news was this monster was no faster than they were, so as long as they kept moving away from it, it wouldn't be able to catch up. If they turned around and went toward it, then it wouldn't be able to sneak up on them, because it was big enough they'd easily be able to see it coming. The bad news was that it was a much stronger monster than either of them realized, and entirely silent, neither of which would be a problem as long as they faced it head-on. But if it snuck quietly up on them when they weren't expecting it, or when they weren't prepared, they'd both be doomed. They'd never know what hit them until it was too late."

I pause to let all that sink in. For once, Kirby doesn't interrupt, so I ask, "Understand so far?"

Both kids nod.

Nodding myself, I let the silence last a moment longer and then pick back up where I left off. "So, as long as they kept moving, looking for the monster, it wouldn't be able to catch up to them. Eventually, they'd realize the monster wasn't the way they were going, so they'd turn around and be able to see it coming long before it reached them."

Kirby comments, "I wish monsters always right behind, poyo. Make quests easier."

Internally, I chuckle to myself, but externally, I just shrug. "Maybe so, but I don't know if you'll think so anymore by the end of the story."

Kirby shrugs in reply. "Doubt it."

"Anyway," I sigh, earning a giggle from Kirby directed at my consternation. "The two started out on their journey, ready to find and fight the monster. At first, they made very good time. The monster stayed far, far behind them. But while they were walking, they came upon a strawberry patch, growing wild and free and delicious just off the path they were walking on. The two decided it wouldn't hurt anything to stop for a few minutes— after all, how much damage could one puny monster do to Dreamland in that amount of time? So, they sat down to take a break and eat some delicious strawberries. They may have dozed in the warm afternoon summer sun for awhile, too."

"Sounds good, poyo," Kirby murmurs, probably drooling at the mental image of fresh, wild strawberries. Bandanna nods in hearty agreement, thumping his spear against the ground by his side twice for emphasis.

Shrugging, I half-agree, "I guess so. But while they were eating and dozing, the monster gained a lot of ground towards them. Even so, once they got moving again after a long while, it quit gaining on them again, and it was still plenty far behind them.

"Before they knew it, though, they came upon a whole field of succulent, juicy, so-ripe-they-were-about-to-burst tomatoes. Obviously, another snack break was in order."

Kirby nods emphatically. "Obvio-poyo."

Ignoring his agreement, I plow ahead. "Again, while they feasted on the wondrous tomatoes, the monster continued to catch up to them. Still, though, he was way behind them. Eventually, they started going again, but now, they walked quite a bit slower, tummies full of strawberries and tomatoes and eyes dozy in the hot late-afternoon sun. Even while they moved, the monster was gaining on them, slowly but surely."

Apparently, Kirby's finally starting to get a bit nervous. "Wait. Monster no make noise, right?"

"That'd be right," I agree, and then stretch. "Well, should we finish this story later?"

Both kids shake their heads 'no' as hard as they can. Good. They're invested at this point. Hopefully this'll work. Crossing my gloves again, I murmur, "Okay, okay; fine. We'll keep going. So the monster kept getting closer... and closer...

"After awhile, they found another area full of goodies. This time, it was an apple tree grove, filled with Whispy apple trees, the kind that have ripe fruit on their branches all year long. Getting the grumpy Whispy trees to cooperate was no trouble at all for the two great heroes, although it wore them out. By the time they'd both had their fill of apples, they were so full and so sleepy that they could barely move.

"By now, the monster wasn't far behind them at all. It was just starting to get dark, too, so soon they wouldn't be able to see the monster until it was right on top of them, even if they were facing it. And of course, they couldn't hear it at all. Unfortunately for them, the monster could hear them as they walked slowly, slowly forward. Even worse, it could smell them, and boy, did they smell delicious. Two food-stuffed puffballs, all drowsy and heavy and ready to be gobbled right up."

Kirby nudges me, a bit concerned now. "Monster eats puffballs? Those are worst kind."

With a small chuckle, I agree, "No kidding. Yup, this kind of monster loved nothing more than a nice, plump puffball to nosh on for dinner. And all stuffed with good food as these two were, they'd make quite a feast."

"Oh," Kirby murmurs. Bandanna Dee shudders a bit.

"Anyway... So they kept going, until it got really dark. By then, they couldn't go another step. It was time to stop for the night. The monster was getting close. Aside from the occasional frightened-sounding cry of some small monsters far off in the distance, there was no sound at all, and so the two started to fall sound asleep."

Then, though, a small monster burst out from the woods. "Run! Run! There's a giant monster right behind us!" Standing up, I yawn and stretch again. "Maybe we should get going. The sun's practically about to start setting."

Both kids yank me down by my cape into a sitting position. "Finish story," Kirby orders, totally serious.

Grunting, I pretend to refuse for a long minute, but then groan and agree, "Fine. We're almost done, anyway. So the little monster came to warn them... Not appreciating being woken up, the Star Warrior ate the monster right up. And then, the two went to sleep.

"Not five minutes later, the monster arrived. They say it certainly wasn't a pretty sound or sight when he began his true feast." I can practically feel the kids' eyes grow in horror right behind me. "Of course, they'd had it coming, stopping that whole time and letting the monster hurt so many people while they snacked their way down the Whispy Woods road to Cookie Country."

"What?!" Kirby yelps in shock.

Getting up and turning around to look at him, I nod as if it's obvious. "Didn't I mention the story takes place on this road? Right around here too, I think, is where the two puffballs' journey ended." Narrowing my eyes mischievously, I add, "Oh, and it's also a true story— and not just a true story, but a looping true story. They say you can hear the two's screams every night around here just after it gets dark. The monster still lives around here, too, waiting for another Star Warrior and Waddle Dee pair to slowly, slowly wander into his realm, just in time for his next nighttime feast."

They stare up at me in horror. "That's just a story, right?" Kirby pleads. Bandanna Dee nods once, eyes asking the same thing.

Shaking my head as if it's obvious, I repeat, "I just told you. It's true, and it's a loop. This same story has happened more than once before. It's only a matter of time until it happens again." Glancing around myself, I comment, "As for myself, I'm not eager to become the next Waddle Dee it happens to, so I'm off to catch up to Meta Knight." With that, I toss Kirby a feather in case he wants the Wing Ability again, and spread my wings from my cape in prep for takeoff.

In response, Bandanna Dee practically throws himself into my gloves so I can't leave without him. And no more than a few seconds after I've managed to clumsily get myself up off the ground (takeoff is much harder when you can't jump down off something to get some velocity going to start with), Wing Kirby is flying right behind me. Before you know it, we're flying even faster than I planned to, since Kirby has set a much-faster speed than we were ever making earlier on.

Less than a half hour later, just as the sun begins dipping below the horizon, I spot Meta Knight down below. I bank down slightly in preparation to land and join him, but then notice in anger that he's calmly sitting on a rock, sunning his wings in the fading sunlight, and reading some book.

Even though up until now, my plan had always been to rejoin him as soon as possible, I grunt, somehow feeling just a bit betrayed, and fly onward. When Kirby shoots me a confused look, having slowed a bit to get ready to land by Meta Knight, I shake my head. "Maybe he just wants to get eaten by the monster." That sends Kirby right back up to our previous speed.

A moment later, I hear a steady, strong beating of wings just behind us as Meta Knight easily catches up to us. Scowling to myself, I call out, letting the wind carry my words back to him, "Nice of you to join us, Sir Knight. Enjoyed your break, did you?" Obviously, since he's behind me, I can't hear any answer he makes. "Doesn't 'scouting ahead' also involve coming back at some point and telling the rest of the party whether the way they're going is safe? Last I checked, telling everyone else to just 'catch up as quickly as is possible' is not at all a typical component of an act of scouting ahead."

A moment later, he's fully caught up and begun flying beside me. Voice almost sheepish, he calls back, "I was not expecting you three to catch up so quickly. I was not expecting you until tomorrow at least, honestly." When I don't answer, too sour to do so, he casts a glance behind us at the setting sun and questions, "Are you ready to stop for the night?"

Bandanna Dee shakes his head fiercely in my arms, while Kirby squeals from ahead, "No! Please, no! Kirby don't want t'get eated!"

Meta Knight shoots me a look of utter confusion. I don't deign to explain anything to him. Instead, I state flatly, "We're not stopping till we reach Cookie Country." Shooting him a glance, I add in a faux-sweet voice, "That is, I mean, you can stop whenever you want if you're getting tired of keeping up and would rather read a book or something."

Even if I can't see his face, I can practically see his resulting scowl. "To Cookie Country it is, then."

"I thought so," I murmur to myself smugly, but am careful to make sure he can't hear me above the roar of the wind as we cut quickly through the air.

Eventually, though, it starts to become too dark to fly, even though we're still probably an hour or so out from Cookie Country. That, and the kids start to become tired. While my pride says that we should press onward and keep going, the sister's heart in me already feels bad enough that I've gotten them this far on deception alone. And so, I glance over at Meta Knight, now a bit sheepish myself. "Maybe we should stop for the night, after all."

When he doesn't answer, just gives a stiff nod, I really do start to feel more wicked and jerky than proud or smug.

And that feeling just keeps intensifying.

Of course, the kids protest at the idea of landing anywhere on the Whispy Woods road to Cookie Country, and so I have to assure them that the monster has a dreadful, paralyzing fear of Galaxia and won't ever bother us as long as we've got Meta Knight around. Even then they only agree to stop and sleep if they can use the branches of a tree as their camping grounds, so the monster can't reach them. And even after that, I have to promise them that someone will stay up all night to keep an eye out for it so we have plenty of time to prepare to fight it if it comes anywhere close.

Guess who ends up having to volunteer for night watch duty when Meta Knight shoots me a 'I have no idea what you did but you really probably shouldn't have done it and therefore I'm going to let you know so' sort of a look?

Meta Knight, being Meta Knight, lets me stand alone in the ever-thickening darkness until probably at least midnight before he finally decides to fly down from the tree, wrap his cloak around himself, and wander over to talk to me. The first words out of his mouth are, "All right, I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." This, of course, is promptly followed by, "What in Dreamland did you do to the children to get them to travel so fast?"

Gloves crossed as they have been most of the day today, I sourly glare out into the night and refuse to answer.

Shrugging, he turns fluidly around and begins to walk back toward the tree. "You are perfectly welcome to stay awake and guard us all night without rest, if that's truly what you desire. I'm sure, as eager as you are to get to Cookie Country as soon as is at all possible, that you'll still be able to fly perfectly well in the morning even without any sleep."

At first, I answer him with nothing more than a grunt, but finally I crack and call after him, "I told them a story, all right? That's it. Truth, whole truth, and nothin' but the truth; just like you asked for."

Seemingly out of nowhere, he's back beside me again, making me give an unwilling start of surprise. If he notices it, he doesn't show it. "What kind of a story, pray tell?"

Rolling my eyes, I mutter back, "A campfire ghost story about two puffballs who went too slow and got eaten by a dreadful monster, which lies in wait along this road to eat any other lollygagging puffballs which happen to slowly amble past. You wanted speed; I gave you speed."

Voice flat, he comments in a way that sounds more like a statement than a question, "You told them it was true, didn't you?"

With a groan, I spin around and glare at him. "Yes, it just so happens I did. You got a problem with that?"

Much to my surprise, he responds with a quiet laugh— more than a chuckle, but still quiet. "It seems that no matter how long I know you, you still always find some new antic to pull that I never see coming beforehand."

Not enjoying being laughed at, I grumpily keep my gloves crossed and glare even, and continue to stare right at him.

Laughing again, more of a chuckle this time, he shakes his head slowly. "Sometimes I think you have learned the art of a well-aimed glare and irritated pose from me even more thoroughly and well than you have learned the sword. If I were truly a good Star Warrior, I would probably quit allowing you to spend so much time around me before I wound up corrupting you further."

"Hmph," I mutter and spin around on one heel, now glaring away from him.

This prompts another chuckle, which just irritates me further. "You learned that from me as well, didn't you?"

"Maybe so. Maybe not," I grump back as I turn my eyes towards the starlit heavens. No clouds in sight, thankfully. At least that much is good.

Clearing his throat, he approaches me again and stands at my side before joining me in looking up at the stars. "Are they singing again?"

Blushing in unwilling embarrassment, I turn my gaze down to the ground. "Why do you wanna know?"

"Simply curious," he replies nonchalantly, still gazing upward.

Sighing, I finally uncross my gloves and place them both behind my back instead. "Yeah, they are, actually. They are most nights." Giving him an annoyed side-glance, I accuse, "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

"Certainly not," he assures me, glancing over at me again. I turn away quickly, trying to make it look like I don't care and like I was never looking at him in the first place. This action doesn't make him chuckle, but he does give an amused sigh. "I simply... wish to try and figure out what you are. There are more qualities about you that make you like one of Kirby's kind than just your Copy and inhale abilities, more than I think even you realize."

For some reason, that just frustrates me further. "So I'm just another puzzle, another enigma, then? Something else your intellectual side just has to get all figured out and sorted neatly in some corner of your mind?"

Again, a single chuckle. "I suppose you could explain it as such, if you wished to boil it down to the simplest explanation possible."

Growling, I turn and stomp away from the tree a bit further. "Look. If you wanna just keep bothering me all night, then go back to sleep. I can keep watch all night. I'm still going strong." Of course, the universe helps me by following that up with a deep, sleepy yawn. I follow that up by growling again, inwardly sarcastically thanking the universe for being a major jerk.

"You really are very strong-willed, aren't you?" he comments in bemusement, and then sighs tiredly. "I can take over watch. Go get some rest."

Gloves crossed again, I spin around and start stomping towards the tree instead. "Be my guest, Sir Knight."

"Lady Dee," he calls after me. Habit makes me stop short even when will would rather I didn't. After a long pause, just before I start moving again, he advises me gently, "You are beginning to be old enough that I should quit scolding you every time you do something unadvisable, so I will not do so whenever I judge I can safely avoid it. However, I would advise that it would be in your better interests never to use deception to get what you want from anyone, but especially from children."

Again, I blush in deep embarrassment. "Yeah. I know. I just... how would you have gotten them moving?"

Once more, there's nothing for a long minute. But as I start to leave, he states quietly, "You saw what I did. I simply left in frustration. Your method was better than mine, I'll give it that much. Yet, there might still be a better way. What it is, I cannot tell you right here or right now. This is simply the first of many things which I cannot teach you." When I don't make any movements or voice any reply, he finishes, "You're going to be a hero, Sakura. In many respects, you already are. Eventually, you will have to be one on your own. I am your mentor, true, but eventually you will have to spread your own wings and chart your own course, unaided by myself."

Again, that same creeping anxiety from earlier comes crawling back. "You're not planning on leaving us, are you, Sir? I'm sorry I'm such a mess... We really do need your help. I really do need your help." When he doesn't answer, I add, "We can't do this without you. You know that."

His voice is even quieter when he answers. "I'm not going to abandon any of you; I promise. No, I not only promise it, I swear it on my sword. I'm only saying that... eventually there will come a time when you are strong enough that you will no longer require a mentor; the same holds true— and in most ways probably already rings true— for Kirby. Eventually, the pupil will graduate and no longer need a teacher."

Unable to come up with a way to overturn that, I just stare after him, still feeling some strange, distant worry somewhere within my heart. Finally, I finish, "Good night, Sir Knight. Thank you."

"For what?" he questions in confusion, golden eyes suddenly gleaming in the darkness as he swiftly turns back to stare at me.

Giving him a tired 'smile,' I reply, "For not giving up on me yet, and, more importantly, for being a real Hero of Dreamland. Maybe I won't need you as a teacher anymore someday, but Dreamland's always going to need you as a hero, and Kirby and I both are always going to need your sword there to back us up. That's never going to change."

The faintest hint of a smile drifts into his eyes. "Thank you for saying so, Lady Dee. Now." Turning away with a swish of his cape, he orders, "Go get some sleep. We have quite a way left yet to go in the morning, and then we will probably be fighting any monsters which the Lightning has sent to oppose us for the rest of the day, at the very least."

"Yes sir," I agree quietly as I clamber up into the tree. After looking guiltily over at the kids, feeling grateful that at least they can't have any nightmares about my stupid monster story thanks to the Fountain, I look back down at Meta Knight where he stands alone on the ground, staring cautiously out around us, ears and eyes peeled for any sign of anything which might try to harm us. I make a quick note to myself to explain my lie to the kids and ask for forgiveness as soon as possible, and then turn my attention back to the mysterious blue Star Warrior (I think) who keeps watch silently below.

Meta Knight says that I'm always surprising him by my words and actions as he gets to know me more and more. By this point, he never really surprises me too much anymore, if only because he never really does anything new or unexpected. But something inside me wishes that someday, somehow, I could know my teacher better, that I could know his full story, who he really is, and where he really came from.

Because if there's one thing I've learned about the masked knight during my time as the Kirby Dee, it's that he seems to have far more going on inside than he ever lets anyone outside see.

And if there's a second, it's that it often seems like, whether he ever admits to it (or even thinks it) or not, he could really use a friend.