Meta Knight|メタナイト

Sometimes I feel like every time I try to do what's best for everyone, I only wind up making everything worse. I mean, just look at earlier— I tried to make myself seem cold, distant, and uninterested, but I think I just came off as angry, bitter, and annoyed. While by the end I was actually angry— very angry, actually— I wasn't to begin with. I was just trying to be distant and aloof, not hostile. Evidently, I failed even at that.

I know that I need to keep myself unattached from the others; I know that I cannot allow any of them to grow close to me. But even so... There has got to be a middle ground where I can do so without causing them too much consternation. In the perfect scenario, they'd hardly even notice I was there or vice versa. Finding the formula that will lead to that perfect scenario, on the other hand, is far easier said than done.

Sighing heavily, I lean against my tree and lower my sword— I've been using it for light— once again. Before the sun set, I was too angry and upset to go looking for my three allies. Now that I actually want to find them, it's dark out, so finding them has become a much more difficult task. It would make it easier if I could fly above the treetops, but I've had next to no luck when it comes to finding clearings where the trees aren't so closely crowded together that there's no real way to fly up. While I suppose being in the deep Woods is a good thing in some ways— the others have most likely set up camp somewhere in the deep Woods, close to the river— it's bad in others, specifically the inability to fly upwards anywhere. If things keep going at this rate, I'll probably have to wait until dawn before I can find the others.

Just as I prepare to start hunting again one last time, someone zooms right past me so fast that I can barely see them, squealing in a squeaky voice the whole way, and then quickly disappears into the Woods. But as quickly as they passed, they looked awfully familiar... and not in anything even slightly resembling a good way.

Raising my eyes to the currently-invisible heavens, I plead under my breath, "Please don't let that be who I think it was. I really don't need that lying wizard around again, not ever but especially not right now."

Before I can decide whether or not to try and go after him, to verify that it is him and keep a promise I made him long ago if the speedy figure did indeed turn out to be him, a whole lot of explosions start very loudly going off back in the direction the figure came from. Well. That would explain what he was running from.

For another moment, I still consider going after the figure, but then realize that leaving a bunch of angry explosives-toting monsters alive in the middle of a mostly-dry forest-turned-matchbox isn't exactly a wise plan. With a sigh, I raise my sword for light again and head towards the sound of the explosives.

I can identify what kind of monsters are causing the noises long before I can actually see them— the sound of the bombs, once I get closer, is obviously the same sound made by the small, rapid-fire bombs Poppy Bros. Juniors carry. Still in no big hurry, I approach the edge of a small hill that goes down into the monsters' thicket, only to freeze in the middle of the rugged path and stare at the scene below me.

Alone, the Kirby Dee is surrounded by a huge horde of the tiny monsters, but she doesn't seem even the slightest bit frightened. Actually, her eyes are filled with a steely, steady determination I've never seen in them before. Executing a spin attack, she takes out a tight ring of about six monsters all around her, and then kicks another one that tries approaching her away into a tree, where it, too, vanishes with a small pop. Turning fluidly away from that one, she stabs right through another one that was approaching her from the side, backflips over one that tried to sneak up on her, and attacks it with a sword drive upwards, before changing the direction of her swing and slamming it down onto the ground, leaving a small crater where the monster once was after it vanishes like the rest of them. Once she's landed, she takes out a group of three monsters standing together with a multi-slash attack, and then, trying to catch her breath, she pauses for a second and stretches. "Anybody else want in on all this fun?"

Evidently, most of the diminutive monsters are done messing with her, as the vast majority of the group retreats back into the treetops with a flurry of frightened squeaks and chitters in their native language. However, one more tries rolling a bomb silently up behind her. Just before I can shout for her to look out, she spins around and kicks the bomb right back at the Junior, blowing it up with yet another small pop.

The monsters seem to be finished with their attack. "Kirby Dee, that was—" I try to get out, only for her to spin around, notice me, and narrow her eyes.

"Stand completely still," she orders firmly, and as shocked as I am, that's about all I can do as she runs up the hill towards me, sword still out and determination in her eyes. Just as I start to get worried that she's planning to attack me, she jumps up, uses my head as a springboard, and makes about three pops go off over my head. Landing on both feet and one glove with her sword pointing directly out to one side, she holds this pose for a second and catches her breath before standing up, pulling a lit torch out of her cape, and marching right past me, obviously planning to walk to a specific destination. "Nice of you to come back," she mutters as she passes me. "Thanks for the help; holding still so I could use you for leverage, I mean."

Dumbfounded, I answer, still quite surprised, "Of course." While I've known for months that Sakura is a skilled swordfighter, I've never seen her take on any opponent alone, much less a giant rush of monsters all coming at her at once. And who knows how many of the things she took out before I got there? The explosions were going on for at least two minutes before I showed up. Not really having any other plan, I start walking not far behind her.

"Where've you been?" she asks simply, not glancing back at me. When I don't answer right away, she continues, "We've set up camp not far from here; we have some leftover fish and tubers if you're hungry. It's cold by now, but we can use the fire to warm it up again." Walking at a quick pace, she adds, "The kids are hopefully still back at camp, maybe even still asleep. I would've stayed with them, but since I was the only one keeping watch, I was also the only one available to go after the weirdo who was trying to spy on us from some tree."

All right, now I'm almost convinced that figure was Magolor. "What weirdo?" I question simply. She seems off in her own little world for the moment and doesn't notice my quiet query. At this point, I'm not trying to be obnoxious or anything; far from it. To be honest, I'm still trying to process the display of bravery I just witnessed. The last time I saw her in a situation like that one, she just stood there and let the monsters attack her until she was practically dead. Even now, I'm amazed that she was able to stand up to all of them on her own without getting hurt.

But as I notice that her breath still hasn't slowed much, I realize that it wasn't entirely without getting hurt. "Do you need some food?" I ask louder, not wanting her to end up seriously injuring herself when we'll probably be facing the Lightning any day now.

"Like I said, we have food back at camp," she answers flatly, still not looking at me. All right, something's wrong, beyond just the monsters... Of course, the fight from earlier; what else would it be?

Clearing my throat, I address her carefully, not wanting to upset her. "Kirby Dee—"

Suddenly stopping, she continues to face away from me, but then turns and tells me quietly, face firm but eyes sad, "You don't have to call me 'Kirby Dee.' My name is Sakura. I'm sorry I said what I said earlier... It doesn't even make sense to me."

Interrupting, I assure her, "Well, I did just give you a name without asking your permission or anything first. While it's common practice for Star Warriors, I should have been more considerate of your heritage and asked first or something, rather than giving you a name you might not have wanted—"

She interrupts me by giving me a small bonk on the rim of my mask with the flat side of her sword, stunning me into silence yet again. "Don't apologize. I love my name. I never even dreamed I'd have a name of my own. Besides, on what planet does anybody choose their own name? You're fine, Sir Knight. I don't know why I said what I said; it just came out." With that, she turns around and starts marching forward again.

Clearing my throat, I start after her again and acquiesce, "Well, we all say foolish things when we are angry. I could certainly have handled your little joyride on the Warp Star far better than I did, myself, and calling you a child was beyond unnecessary. I'm sorry I was in such a bad mood today; I'll try to do a better job of composing myself properly in the future."

Shaking her head, she disagrees, "If anything, I'm the one who should be apologizing. You were right; I've been acting like a child for most of this quest, and it needs to stop. We'll be facing the Lightning in a few days, and I need to serious up and treat that like the big thing it is. It's not just some grand adventure; it's a quest, and I need to treat it more like one."

Even though that's exactly the sort of attitude I've been somewhat wishing she'd adopt for quite some time now, it's still surprising to me that she actually has, and somehow nowhere near as gratifying as I'd always imagined it would be. Not knowing what else to say, I question, "You've thought of this all as a 'grand adventure?'"

She winces, evidently taking that question the wrong way. "Yeah, and I'm sorry, like I said. It just... made it easier for me, less scary, I guess, if I tried to put a positive spin on it like Kirby always does. But you're right; it was pretty childish of me. Besides, I don't need to be afraid anyway— I've got a prophecy to fulfill. There's a Lightning that needs to be weakened so someone else can destroy him." Pausing for a second, she glances back at me. "It's like you said in the cave before we all went our separate ways; I had nothing to fear. I wasn't going to die that night, just like I didn't die tonight. Obviously I shouldn't go laughing in the face of death or anything stupid, but I don't need to be cowering in fear either."

As she continues forward, I can't help but stare after her, utterly confused. Before I ask her what happened while I was gone to inspire this total personality change, she suddenly freezes and turns back to me once more. "The weirdo who was spying on us; he acted like he knows you. Said he's from a planet named 'Halcandra' and that his name's 'Magolor.' He really didn't seem all that smart, but—"

Sakura cuts off as I close my eyes and give some sort of cross between a growl and a groan in response to her words. "So you do know him," she states flatly, face still not betraying any expression. "I tried to keep him at the camp, but he went running off. That's how I ended up in that Junior-infested area."

Trying to control the irritation I feel at Magolor's sudden return to Dreamland, I demand rather sourly, "Did he say how he got here?"

She nods. "He said he crashed his spaceship not too far from here, because of all the lightning in the area making it hard to fly. Seemed pretty suspicious to me."

"It seems equally suspicious to me as well," I mutter in frustration. "Keep an eye out for him and let me know right away if you ever see him again, do you understand? I promised him that if he ever came back to this planet, I was going to give him what he deserved two years ago. He's lucky Kirby's more merciful than I am; otherwise he would have gotten it then."

As I finally open my eyes, Sakura nods in response to my order and then inquires, "So how'd you meet him, anyway? And what did he do to get you on his bad side, besides telling you that you're not an 'overweight, underbrained penguin?'"

Raising an eyebrow at that last bit, I wait for her to elaborate, but when she doesn't, I just sigh and shake my head. "He was the last villain to try and take over Dreamland— and the rest of the Galaxy too, actually— just about two years ago. That was the last quest I went on with Kirby before this one, and Bandanna Dee and the King tagged along as well."

Tilting her head slightly, finally betraying some sign of her normal self, she comments, "I kinda remember when that happened. It was the most peaceful two weeks we've ever had at the castle, ever."

Despite myself, I can't help but give a tiny smile at the thought of the Waddle Dees all enjoying a long-overdue peaceful fortnight, but I quickly quash it. "He tricked us into repairing his ship for him— he crash-landed it that time too, right in the middle of Green Greens, and shed parts of his ship all over Dreamland in the process— and then took us to his awful, smoggy home planet so we could defeat a four-headed dragon for him. He did all this under the pretense that he was the victim, but it turned out he just wanted to steal the powerful artifact that the dragon was guarding. And when the dragon attacked him and damaged his ship the first time he tried to attack it, he remembered the legends of a powerful pink hero on Popstar and came and got Kirby to take care of it for him. Of course, then he took the artifact— a source of nigh-limitless power named the Master Crown— and attacked the four of us. He was quite powerful with its help, and was turned from a cheap master of deception to a truly powerful, mighty magician. Thankfully, we were able to defeat him before he managed to swallow Popstar up into a monochrome, lifeless other dimension... But his ship saved him from being trapped there for some reason, a reason that will forever be beyond me."

Seeming impressed, Sakura wonders aloud, "So he's stayed away from here ever since?"

Shaking my head, I disagree, "He reappeared about six months later, right around the holiday season that happened a few months before you were changed, and built Kirby a kind of 'amusement park' where he could play with the Copy Abilities not far from Mt. Dedede up northwest. Kirby and Bandanna Dee both forgave him, and the King had already pretty much entirely forgotten him. I, on the other hand, still don't trust him, and never will. He prepared to leave soon after, but I snuck onto his ship not long before he departed, grabbed him by the scarf, pinned him against the wall of his ship, and swore to him on my sword that if he ever returned, I would kill him, just as he deserved. After that, I dropped him on the ground, him squealing and squalling all the way, and made my exit. I hadn't seen him since, until he floated right past me a little while ago." Making a face to myself, I add, "If I had recognized him sooner and wasn't afraid of attacking somebody innocent by accident, I would have kept my promise tonight."

Furrowing her brow, she murmurs, "Like I said, he didn't seem that smart. How did he manage to trick you? I can see him tricking Kirby; Kirby'll trust anybody, and Bandanna tends to follow Kirby... And the King... well, I don't even have to say anything on that front. But you... It's kinda hard to believe."

Shaking my head bitterly, I mutter, "I never trusted him from the beginning, but the others wouldn't believe me. I bet Dedede that certainly Kirby knew better than to trust him, but... I turned out to be wrong."

Making a sympathetic face, she replies, "And thus you had to participate in the 'Kirby Ta-Da Dance?"

Nodding once with a shudder at the memory, I finally remember where we are and notice once again that Sakura's breath still hasn't slowed much. "Are you certain you wouldn't like some food, young one? Pressing yourself forward needlessly when you're injured isn't a good plan."

Shaking her head, she turns around again and continues pressing forward despite my words. "We're almost there anyway. No point in wasting supplies." Pausing one last time, she glances back at me once again. "I really am sorry, Sir. About everything. About not being a better hero, about seeming to reject the name you gave me earlier, about acting like a petty child, about messing around on the Warp Star earlier when I wasn't supposed to, about everything. I've been trying so hard to prove myself to you in all the wrong ways. I guess I really am just a child."

For a long moment, I stare back at her, but finally sigh heavily and shake my head. "You're anything but a mere child, Sakura. I've known that since the day you slew the Mariel and saved my life. The qualities you possess that I tend to label 'childish' when I'm in a bad mood are, for the most part, actually good qualities to have." Not knowing exactly how to put what I want to say to her into words, I pause for a long second, but finally know what to say. "You are very... pure. That's the best way to put it, pure. You've tasted battle, but you haven't let it change you. You've kept a positive outlook, stayed kind, and never forgotten the sanctity of life. You almost always try to look for the peaceful way out. All of these things are things that you have learned yourself, not from me. I hope... I hope you can hold onto them for many, many years to come as you continue to grow, even long after I can no longer be your teacher. You are a good hero, Sakura. I'm sorry if I have ever inferred otherwise."

Much to my surprise, her face stays flat, but her eyes fill with a sadness much deeper and much older-looking than any other emotion I've ever seen them carry. What happened in such a short time to change her so much? She wasn't anything like this even just this morning... What could have brought her such a deep sadness in such a short amount of time?

Finally, she answers in a wavering voice, "Thank you, Sir Knight. Come on; let's get back to camp."

Within a couple more minutes, we've reached the embers of a small campfire, which a wide-awake Kirby sits next to, anxiously watching the trees, while Bandanna Dee leans against him, fast asleep. The pink child breathes a sigh of relief when he sees us.

Grinning up at us both, he explains quietly, "When we heared S'kura chasin' after Mag'lor, we waked up and started watchin' out for badguys. 'M glad you're back, poyopo."

"I'm glad to be back, Kirby," I assure him in a cool-but-kind voice, watching attentively as the still-injured Sakura stokes up the fire with the torch she had been carrying and starts warming up some leftover food. Minutes later, she hands half of it to me and eats her half herself. I tuck my half carefully into my cape despite my hunger, waiting until I have a chance to climb into the leafy branches of a tree so I can have some privacy in which to eat.

As soon as she's finished her portion, Sakura quietly tells Kirby to head back to sleep. He helps Bandanna up and settles down under a tree with his young friend, but keeps his eyes half open, watching us carefully.

After shaking her head slightly at him in something resembling tired amusement, Sakura approaches me and hands me something from inside of her cape. It takes me a moment to recognize it in the dim firelight as she turns away again, but as soon as I register what it is, everything makes sense.

She opened the 'Profiles' book and read something that upset her. What she read, I don't know, but it was almost certainly something she shouldn't have.

Rather irritated now, I demand of her, "Sakura, did you try and read this book?"

She stays frozen over by the fire, facing away from me for a long second, but finally turns to me, eyes filled with the same determination from earlier. "No. I didn't."

"You're lying," I accuse, eyes narrowed.

She narrows her eyes as well. "I am not. I haven't opened it since I put it into my cape."

"Which time?" I demand, practically in a growl.

Groaning, she rolls her eyes at me. "Shotzo it, Meta Knight, I didn't open your stupid book, all right? I'm not a liar."

Well. If she was lying, she would have lost the little standoff by now like she always does. Sighing heavily, I tuck the book into my cape and apologize, "All right. I'm sorry for saying you were. This book is just really... something you don't need to concern yourself with."

"I know," she murmurs quietly, all anger having disappeared. Kirby eyes the both of us in worry, obviously not wanting us to start fighting again. "Just like the Warp Star. Just like the Star Power. I get it."

Groaning a bit in frustration directed mainly at myself, I plead with her, "Sakura, please don't be like that... I already apologized..."

"No," she says firmly, shaking her head once, but then falls quiet again. "You were right. You always are. I shouldn't try to be more than what I am. I should be happy with being me and enjoy it however long I can."

Kirby looks between the two of us once more, frowning deeply now in concern.

Still looking over at her, I feel my heart sink slightly despite itself. If it wasn't the book that did this, it must have been me. I never wanted to corrupt her or change her. I certainly didn't want her to start looking down on herself. "Sakura..." I start, only to be interrupted by a firm glance from her that clearly says she's done having this conversation.

Taking a deep breath, I blink and let her win the staring contest. "All right. But get some rest, all right?"

For a moment, she looks like she wants to resist, but finally sighs and nods once. "All right. I'll try." She sits down against the same tree as the kids, not far away from them. Kirby snuggles close up against her side, and she doesn't try to push him away. Within a minute, Kirby seems to be asleep, but even though Sakura looks to be sleeping, I can sense that she isn't, at least, not yet.

Glancing away from her, I sigh quietly to myself. If my remaining time on this planet is really as short as the length of my file in the book seems to indicate, then if I had just been careful for another week or so, I could have avoided corrupting any of them to be anything like myself. Hopefully, once she's had a good night's rest, she'll be back to normal. I don't want to have changed her into something totally different from who she really is.

Trying to clear my head, I flap up into a tree, hide myself among the leaves, remove my mask, and quietly eat my surprisingly-good, nice-and-warm, ridiculously-late dinner. Despite myself, I can't prevent myself from feeling a warm, thankful feeling whenever I look over at the other three, even though I know it's a bad idea. The more prideful part of me reminds me that I can't care for them, no matter how much I want to, but I push it away.

If I really have only days left to live, then what's the point in trying to force myself to have a heart of stone? Why try and make myself and the others miserable when there's no way it could do any good now? It's too late for that. I might as well just be grateful that I will not have to face my end alone, as I've long feared.

Out of nowhere, I hear Sakura's voice quietly singing to herself, so quietly that I can barely hear her. I can't quite hear the words no matter how hard I try, but the soft, lilting tune sounds so eerily familiar. I just can't quite place where it comes from.

When I glance down at her, she looks to be asleep, even though I can still tell that she's faking. With a sigh, I put my mask back on, glide down out of the tree, sit down beside the quickly-dying fire, and face out into the dark, quiet Woods, while a soft-yet-malevolent-sounding rumble of thunder goes off overhead.

If I really am destined not for victory, but for defeat... It is far better to die among... friends, yes, friends... than it is to die alone.

As Sakura begins almost-silently humming the tune under her breath behind me again, I close my eyes and allow myself to listen to it, grateful that she and the others are here, and even more grateful that even when I am gone, she will still be there to look after the two children and guide them as they grow. And, I know, all three of them will one day become the greatest heroes Dreamland could ever know.

I have taught them. I have done all I can for them to help them reach that goal.

Now, all I have left to do is defend them as best I can as I face my last battle against a true villain, and then take my place among the stars, among the rest of my kind, back home where I belong. The Galaxy is not a place for Star Warriors any longer, save the few that remain and the one who is the greatest hero she will ever have to defend her. My era, the era of the Star Warriors, has ended.

The era of The Warrior of the Stars, the Bandanna Waddle Dee, and the Kirby Dee, however, has just begun.

And with all my heart, I believe that it will be the greatest era that Dreamland, Popstar, or even the whole Galaxy has or will ever know.