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Chapter Text

It had been a long day of cleaning and moving and cleaning again. The waddle dees had finally finished building a house for Hyness and the Mage Sisters the day before, and the four of them were moving their belongings-- as well as house-warming gifts-- into their new home.

“We’ll need to buy wallpaper for each bedroom, carpet for the living room, food to stock the fridge…” Zan counted up what was still needed, but her list was cut off by a groan from Flam. "What is it?”

“We’ve been working all day!” Flam complained. “Can’t we take a break before doing all that?!”

Zan scowled. “We need to get this done as fast as possible. We don’t have time for-”

“Flam’s right, Zan,” Fran said, rubbing her head. “I know we still have stuff to do, but we’re done for now. We need to rest.”

“Then I guess I’m doing it myself!” Zan snapped, before storming off. She was stopped short in the hallway by Hyness coming out of the kitchen.

“Zan, dear, what has you in such a hurry?” He looked at her, worried.

“We still have so much work to do, and Fran and Flam won’t-” She was cut off by a “shhhh” from Hyness as he put his hands on her shoulders.

“Dear, you need to rest just as much as they do. You’ve been working non-stop all day.” He pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back. “Just calm down, breathe, and slooowww.”

Zan felt herself loosening up in Hyness’s grip, sighing. She started to drift a bit as her mind grew fuzzy. She leaned more into her paja’s touch with a hum. As she sunk, however, her calm was temporarily broken as she fell a bit with a shriek. She’s caught by Hyness, who hoisted her up higher, now carrying her. “Goodness! Careful, didi bala. How about Paja carries you, mhm?” Oop. There it was. Zan simply nodded, her words now lost in the fuzz in her head. Her hand drifted towards her mouth, before Hyness gently pulled it away. “Mm-mm, that’s not good for baby. Hold on, I’ll make you a bottle, mhm?”

Zan gave a small hum in acknowledgement as Hyness carried her to the kitchen. She absently reached for a mug, before Hyness gently pushed her hand away. "Dear, you're much too small for that right now, mhm? I'm getting your bottle and it'll only be a few minutes." After what felt like forever to the little girl, Hyness carried her to the living room and sat down in the rocking chair, holding the bottle to Zan's mouth. Her eyes drifted closed as she drank contentedly.

“Hey, where’s- Oh, there she is!” Fran came into the living room, smiling at the sight of Zan and Hyness. “Awww, we have a baby, don’t we? Just the cutest didi bala~”

“She's going to bed in a little bit," Hyness said. "Our baby's getting sleepy." As if on cue, Zan finished her bottle and yawned. "Oh? Are you ready for naptime now?" She sleepily nodded. "Right! To bed we go!" Hyness stood up and carried Zan to her room, humming. He laid her down in bed, tucking her under the covers with a smile. Finally, he puts her pacifier in her mouth and gives her a kiss on the forehead. " Jaitty, my dear." And with that, he left, closed the door behind him, and left Zan to her nap.

Chapter Text

Magolor was so, so tired. Despite what he had believed a few years ago, running a theme park was nowhere near easy. He needed a break… but figures needed to be calculated, paychecks made, maintenance done… He didn’t have time right now. Despite what he told himself, however, he could feel that fuzzy feeling creeping up on him. He didn’t need to regress right now, he didn’t have time to regress right now. And so he locked it out, even if that lock was threatening to break at any moment.

“Mags?”

Magolor jumped a bit, startled. Taranza was very quiet when he moved, and it made it easy for the Floralian to sneak up on him, even if he didn’t mean to.

“Mags, it’s one in the morning, you need to get some sleep…” Taranza sounded worried, as he often did. It was almost enough to make the lock break right then and there. Almost.

“I’m fine, Ranza. Just gotta finish my work for the night,” Magolor said. From the look on his face, Taranza didn’t believe him.

“Mags, you woke up at six. You’ve been awake for nineteen hours straight, you need to go to bed.” He pulled Magolor’s chair out from the desk and turned him around to face him. “Your eye bags are bigger than Marx’s… Come on, you’re going to bed.”

Magolor groaned. "I don't have time to right now, I said I'm fine…" He tried to keep a pout off of his face, putting his effort into giving a scowl instead. Judging by the look on Taranza's face, however, the Floralian didn't buy it.

"Mags, how long has it been since you regressed?" There was that question. The question he'd been hoping to avoid, but Taranza was nothing if not thorough in his attempts to pull Mags away from work. The problem was, Magolor didn't exactly know how long it had been. He just knew that he hadn't had the time lately, and he didn't have time now. His silence spoke in volumes to Taranza, who sighed. “Maggie…” Uh oh. And that is when the lock broke.

Magolor crossed his arms and pouted as he dropped. “Don’t wanna!” Taranza only smiled however, glad that he had managed to pull him into littlespace.

“I bet you’re really sleepy though, aren’t you, bébé? ”

“‘M not a baby….”

“Well, how old are you?”

Magolor took a moment to think, counting on his paws until he held up all eight fingers. “Eight!”

"Wow, such a big kid!" Taranza exclaimed. "But big kids need to sleep too, alright?" Magolor only gave a huff in response. Taranza thought for a moment. "Tell you what, if you go to sleep, I'll make you pancakes when you wake up."

"With chocolate chips and blueberries?" Magolor asked.

Taranza nodded. "Mhm! Maybe even sprinkles, if I can find them… But only if you go get ready for bed, alright? I’ll come in soon to tuck you in.” Magolor grinned and hurried off. Taranza watched, smiling. He'd later come in to tuck Magolor into bed and press a kiss to his head, before leaving his kitten to his sweet dreams.

Chapter Text

It was Meta's eighteenth birthday, and he didn't know how to feel about that.

On one hand, he was considered an adult. If he and Galaxia went to an inhabited planet, he'd be able to participate in more activities that he couldn't before. He'd have more responsibilities.

On the other hand… he didn’t know if he was ready to be considered an adult. He sure didn’t feel like an adult. He didn’t think he’d feel like an adult for a long time.

"Metaaa," Galaxia hummed outside his tent. "Breakfast is almost ready!" Come outside when you’re dressed!”

Meta slipped out of his sleeping bag, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He carefully put on his armor, piece by piece until he finished with the heavy metal mask over his face. He stepped outside and was greeted with the smell of eggs cooking over the campfire. Galaxia sat, stoking the flames, soon flipping the eggs onto a plate of pancakes and fruit. She handed the plate to Meta, smiling. “Morning, sleepyhead! Sleep well?” Meta gave a huff in response, before lifting his mask up to eat. 

Galaxia frowned. “What’s wrong, Meta?” Figures. Even with the mask, his mentor could always read him like a book. Mets sighed and set his fork on his plate.

“Am I really supposed to be an adult?” He asked. “I don’t feel like an adult… I don’t know if I’m ready for it.”

The older astral looked at him sympathetically. “I know, changes like this are scary. But, just know that with me, you don’t have to be an adult yet, if you don’t want to be.”

“Promise?” 

“Promise.”

Meta thought for a moment, before leaning into Galaxia. “I don’t think I want to be an adult yet…”

Galaxia stroked his head. “What do you want to be, then?”

Meta’s eyes drifted closed as he sighed. “I think… I want to be little today.”

She smiled and pressed a kiss to his head, before gently removing his mask. “You want to have a little day, huh? Alright, we can have a little day, didi bala.” Meta almost instantly melted at the kiss and nickname, the familiar fuzzy feeling of littlespace manifesting immediately. “There we go… how are we feeling now? Better?” He nodded, snuggling into his mama with a smile. “That’s good! Now, can you try and finish your breakfast, please?”

Meta dug into his food, finishing it in only a few moments. “All done!” He grinned at Galaxia, causing her to giggle.

“Your face is covered in syrup, Meta.” She pulled the puffball close to wipe hiss face, chuckling. "You really are a messy eater…" Meta squirmed until Galaxia let him go, shaking himself.

"What are we gonna do, Mama?" he asked excitedly.

"Well, first I have a present for you!" Galaxia pulled a box out of her cape and handed it to the puffball with a smile. Meta took it, eyes wide in excitement.

"Can I open it? Can I, can I?"

"Of course! It's for you after all!"

Meta excitedly tore through the paper, opening the box to find a handmade plush of a blipper. He gasped and took the plush out of the box, before hugging it close. "I love him, I love him, I love him!"

Galaxia chuckled. "I'm glad to hear it! I made him just for you. What are you going to name him?"

Meta bounced for a few moments as he thought. "Hmmmm…. Mr. Blap! It's diz- dista-"

"Distinguished?"

"Yeah!" Meta held up Mr. Blap. "It's that!" He squeezed the blipper closely, grinning. “Thank you, Mama!” He hugged Galaxia.

Galaxia pulled him close, smiling. “You’re welcome, didi bala.” She gave Mr. Blap a pat on the head. “So, what kind of adventures is Mr. Blap going to have?”

Meta lit up. “He’s going to be a hero! He swims throughout the seas to fight monsters and protect people who can’t fight for themselves! His sworn enemy is the evil Mr. Rockster….” Galaxia listened intently as Meta rambled, pleased that he loved his gift so much. Perhaps next year, she could make Mr. Blap a sidekick.

Chapter Text

Everything was too much.

It was Dedede's birthday, and of course Meta was there as his plus one. Dedede was always one for big parties- lots of food, lots of people, lots of gifts, lots of noise. It was just how Dedede liked it… so why couldn't Meta just deal with it? Even with his earplugs, the chatter of the guests still felt like it was stabbing into his eardrums, and it was getting worse by the minute. Despite that, he stayed quiet. It was Dedede's party, not his. The king of Dreamland could celebrate his birthday however he wished.

Even if it felt like a jackhammer was drilling into his skull.

He wished he could go back to the Halberd, but that'd upset Dedede, and likely Kirby and Bandee as well. He could deal with some discomfort. He could deal with the loud noise, with the ringing in his ears, with the shortness of breath, with the tears that formed in his eyes when the lights began to feel too bright…

He was taken off guard by a clap on his back, causing him to let out a startled squeak. The sensation continued bugging him even after Dedede pulled his arm away, unpleasantly contributing to his existing discomfort.

'Ah, sorry Meta, you alright?" Dedede asked. Meta only nodded in response, not trusting his ability to speak. Everything felt bigger than him, and he felt like he was going to crumble if he let himself. He reinforced the nonverbal lie with a thumbs up, hoping Dedede wouldn't notice him shaking.

"Alright… I'm here if you need anything, okay?" Dedede said, before pressing a kiss to the top of Meta's head, walking away to talk to a guard who had gotten his attention. Unbeknownst to the penguin, Meta slipped into the shadows.

Meta slipped into a side room off of the throne room. He tried to quell his shaking, tried to calm his breathing. Despite his efforts, he broke, tears falling from his eyes as he curled up into a ball. It’s Dedede’s birthday, I’m being selfish, I’m being weak…. I shouldn’t be acting like this… He felt himself cracking, until he could no longer think straight, only able to sob his heart out as the noise carried through the walls. 

He didn’t know how long he was in there, but eventually the door opened. “Meta?” Dedede stepped into the room. He knelt beside Meta. “Meta? Can you talk to me?”

Meta looked up at him. “I.. I’s sowwy…”

“What? You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, baby,” Dedede reassured him. “What’s wrong?”

“Is your party, n I’s jus bein annoyin…”

“You aren’t being annoying, baby bat.” Dedede held his hand out to Meta, who took it, climbing into Dedede’s arms. “Is the party too loud?”

“Mhm…”

“I’m sorry, baby, I should’ve thought about that.” He rubbed Meta’s head, humming softly. “You can stay in here as long as you need to, alright? You aren’t being annoying by being overwhelmed.”

“But… is your party… you’s havin fun…”

Dedede smiled down at Meta. “I’d rather you be comfy than me be loud, alright? I’m not going to make you uncomfortable for the sake of fun. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll get it for you.”

Meta sniffed. “Some cake and choco ice cweam? Pwease?”

He received a pat on the head. “Alright, I’ll be back soon. I’ll get you your tunes, too, ‘kay?”

“M’kay...”

A few minutes later, Dedede came back into the room, carrying Meta’s cake, ice cream, and headphones. “Here ya go, baby bat. Careful, it’s a bit messy.”

“T’ank you!”

“You’re welcome.” Dedede pressed a kiss to Meta’s head. “I’m gonna head back out to the party, alright? Send me a penguin if you need anything.”

“M’Kay!” Meta hugged Dedede, waving as the penguin left. Once Dedede was out of the room, he put on his headphones and turned his music on, humming along as he ate his dessert. His eyelids began to droop when he was done eating, the stress from earlier and his belly full of sugar was making him tired. He yawned and curled up, soon falling asleep to the music in his ears.

Chapter Text

Space… was lonely. Unbearably so. And yet, Void was forced to bear it. Void was dangerous, after all. It didn’t deserve a warm bed, or food… or family. That was what it had been told, by many people, as long as it had lived…

And yet, there were those who didn’t believe that. Kind, loving people, who treated Void as someone deserving of their love and kindness. Who built altars, simply for the purpose of sharing food and song. Some were able to talk to Void, even without the altars, and these people became priests, handling affairs directly.

Void didn’t completely understand everything, despite the large role it had played in the creation of the universe. It didn’t understand exactly how it had created the universe. It didn’t understand why it hurt so many people… Most puzzling though, was how there were times when it felt… younger? Times when it would feel unable to do anything but cry, when it would feel even emptier than usual, desperate for touch, sound, anything.

Its cries were often answered by the "Grand Priest" of the people revering it. People who talked to it. In this time, it was Fontizoya, a small but serious Dark Matter who treated Void as their own. Whenever tears ran down Void’s face, Fontizoya was there, whispering to it with the softest voice they could muster. They’d talk it through its feelings, or, if it couldn’t form words, they’d shower it in affection. You’re doing so good, they’d say. You’re being so brave for me, child. Void would grasp the connection the two made tightly, fearing that it’d lose it forever… But a few moments later, Fontizoya would begin to sing. Soft lullabies, makin it easier for Void to fall asleep. It’d fall into its dreams as they sang, drifting to sleep. And Fontizoya would smile, and give Void the sensation that they were pressing their forehead to its own.

Yes, space could be lonely. But if Fontizoya was there… perhaps it wasn’t entirely bad.

Chapter Text

He hadn’t meant to break it.

That morning, Mags had come over to Taranza’s clinic to help clean. After a few hours, however, they had ran out of cleaner. Taranza, ever-so-trusting, had left to get more cleaner and left Mags in charge while he was gone. Which, normally, would be fine. But Mags had found that cartoon on TV… and before he knew it, Mags was only eight, and still in charge of the clinic.

He had decided to be responsible, and do some dusting before Taranza came back. All that was on this stuff was dust! They didn’t need cleaner to deal with it! And so Mags had dusted the lobby furniture, humming to himself, before hearing a crash. He turned around… and there was one of the flower vases, shattered on the floor. He must’ve bumped into it while cleaning…

And back to the present. Mags stared at the mess on the floor. “Oh no, oh no, oh no… Ranza’s gonna be so so so mad…” He could picture it now, Ranza would yell at him, he’d be kicked out of the clinic, Ranza wouldn’t love him anymore. He had to fix this, had to, had to, had to! But where was the glue? If he didn’t have glue, he couldn’t fix it… But wait, he had magic! He could use that to put the vase back together! He reached and tried to grab one of the shards, and- OUCH! The broken glass cut through his glove and scratched him, drawing blood. Mags hissed and looked down at his hand, and upon seeing the yellow… He started to sob.

The door opened with a click. Taranza came into the clinic with the shopping bags, smiling. “Mags, I’m home!”

However, Taranza didn’t receive an answer. Puzzled, he called again. “Magolor?” He then noticed a sound from behind the counter. It sounded like Mags… and something was wrong. Taranza’s instincts were on full alert as he rounded the corner. “Mags?”

He came upon the Halcandrian curled up on the floor, clutching his bleeding paw as he sobbed. He made note of the broken glass, carefully floating over it. “Mags, can you hear me?”

Mags looked up at Taranza, before shrinking away, choking on his tears. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I’m sorryyy! ”

“Maggie…” Taranza bent down to stroke Magolor’s forehead. “Maggie, honey, it’s alright…”

“No it’s not, I broke it and I broke myself and now you’re gonna be mad at me!”

“Maggie, I’m not mad at you, sweetie.” Taranza picked Mags up off of the floor. “Can I see your paw, please?” The whimpering Mags gingerly held out his paw. Taranza took it gently and inspected the cut. “Oh, sweetie…” He reached behind himself and took a bottle of antiseptic and a roll of bandages from his doctor’s bag. “Do you want me to kiss it?” Mags nodded.

Taranza gave the paw a small smooch, before pulling out a rag and starting to clean the wound. “Sorry, sweetie, this is going to sting…” He dripped some of the antiseptic onto the cut. Mags yelped at the sting, but he didn’t pull away. Taranza’s heart broke at the tears in his eyes, quickly wrapping the cut and letting go of Magolor’s paw to give him a hug. “I know sweetie, I know it hurts…”

“I’m sorry…” Mags sniffed into his caregiver’s shoulder.

“I know, Maggy…”

“I didn’t mean to break the vase…”

“I know, Maggy.” Taranza kissed the top of Magolor’s head as he rubbed circles into his back. “But it’s okay, alright? You’re okay, and that’s what matters. Now, I picked up some pastries from Nago’s bakery if you want any, okay?”

“You got some cinnamon twists, right?”

“Mhm, you can have a couple right now.” He patted him on the head. “We can be done with cleaning today."

He watched with a smile as Mags devoured his cinnamon twists, and watched as he curled up on the couch with a yawn. “Do I have a sleepy kitten on my hands?”

“Mhm…” Mags yawned again. “G’night, Ranza…”

“Good night, Maggy.” Taranza turned the lights off and sat down next to Mags with a book, making sure his kit was comfortable. “Sleep well.”

Chapter Text

It’d been years- decades, even- since he had held a child. Yeah, sure, some of the Demon Beasts were raised from babies, but those were rarely sentient, more like animals. But here Nightmare was, holding his son for the first time in over twenty years as if the boy was a puffball again.

Which, mentally, Meta was at the moment. “Age regression,” the king had called it. To deal with stress, Meta’s mind would regress to that of a toddler. While Nightmare had never heard of or considered that before, he could see the appeal. Mainly, the appeal of being around to care for this small puffball.

“You got him okay?” Dedede asked. Nightmare nodded. “Good, he’s usually pretty squirmy… Though he’s pretty tired right now, so I don’t think you’ll have much of an issue with that.”

As if on cue, Meta gave a big yawn, stretching out in his hands before curling back up again. He looked at Nightmare with a sleepy smile. “Hi, Papa…”

“Hey, sleepyhead,” he answered, poking Meta’s (lack of a) nose. “You look about ready to pass out, lil guy.”

“Mmm… sleeby…”

“I can see that! Do you want anything before you fall asleep?”

“Hungy too…”

“You’re in luck, your bottle just finished heating up,” Dedede said, coming back over again. He handed the bottle to Nightmare. “There’s his milk, and I’ll get his blankie and paci.”

Nightmare took the bottle and held it to Meta’s mouth, watching as the puffball started to drink. “You like that? I don’t blame ya, it smells real good.” Meta opened his eyes and smiled at his papa, downing the bottle in record time. He let out a burp, giggling. Nightmare chuckled as well, stroking Meta’s head. “You haven’t changed a bit, kiddo. Am I right in saying it’s sleepy time?”

Before he could say anything, Meta yawned again. “Well, looks like there’s my answer! Don’t worry, your Dadada is coming back with your sleep stuff.” On cue, Dedede came back into the room, draping Meta’s blanket over the two and popping Meta’s paci into his mouth.

“G’night, baby bat,” Dedede said, pressing a kiss to the sleepy child’s forehead. “I’ll leave you two to it. I could use some shut-eye myself, haha!” He left to go to his bedroom, leaving Nightmare with Meta in the dark.

The wizard looked down at his son. Meta had already fallen asleep, his body rising and falling with his slow breaths. Smiling, Nightmare pressed a kiss to his forehead before leaning back. He slowly rocked Meta in his arms, careful to not rouse him. “Good night, kiddo. Sweet dreams.” And unbeknownst to Nightmare, he’d be featuring in those sweet dreams, the two of them playing together in Meta’s cotton candy mindscape. Yes, sweet dreams indeed.

Chapter Text

All was peaceful at midnight in Dreamland. All were resting in their beds, sweet dreams carrying them through their sleep… save for Meta Knight. He had been afflicted with an awful nightmare, bad enough that he had woken up in his younger headspace. He sniffed as tears began to roll down his face. While he didn’t completely understand his nightmare, it was enough to nearly send him into a meltdown.

His tears slowed, however, when he heard a soft voice coming from the corner of his room. He turned towards it, his eyes landing on Galaxia propped up on her stand.

What is wrong, my child?

Meta wiped the tears from his eyes. “[Bad dream…]”

Come and hold me, Meta.

Meta walked over and picked up Galaxia, bringing her with him to his bed.

What did you see?

“[Scary man… tried to hurt me…]” Meta shook as he signed. “[Said he’d find me…]” Thinking about the nightmare, Meta’s tears began flowing again as he hugged Galaxia close.

Galaxia ached at the sight. How she longed to hold Meta, to keep him safe from Nightmare’s forces… But alas, she was only a sword. Meta’s companions, Sword and Blade, were the ones meant to take care of the little knight, not her. She didn’t know if Nightmare had found Meta, or if it was a simple dream, but regardless of what role she was meant to play, she would protect him as best as she could.

Shhhhh, she said softly. As long as I am with you, you are safe.

“[Promise?]” 

Promise.

Galaxia began to sing softly to her little knight, slowly drying the tears from his face and lulling him back to sleep.

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be.

Chapter Text

“Alright, are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Meta answered, letting out a sigh. He watched as Taranza gathered his equipment. All of the Star Allies were registered for annual check-ups with Taranza, and today was Meta’s turn on the table. He pushed down the uneasy feeling in his gut as he sat and waited. He had never enjoyed medical visits, but it had gotten worse after the Haltmann invasion. He just had to pray that he didn’t get too stressed out.

Taranza walked back over with a roll of bandages. “Can you take your gloves off, please?" Meta obliged. "This'll be uncomfortable, but I need to easily find the vein." He tightly wrapped the bandage around Meta's arm and went to get the rest of his tools, leaving him alone on the table.

Don’t freak out don’t freak out don’t freak out-

Taranza came back into the room with a razor and shaved a small square on the inside of Meta’s arm, wiping it with an antiseptic. Meta accidentally let out a whine, eyes widening as he realized he was slipping. He started to sniff as his eyes watered. The wipe was cold and his arm hurt and he didn’t want to get poked- “Shhhhh, it’s alright, you’re okay,” Taranza whispered. “It’s just going to be a small pinch.” Upon seeing the needle in Taranza’s hands, Meta dropped, squeezing his eyes shut.

A small poke, and Meta broke down, sobbing. Taranza continued talking to him throughout, whispering affirmations and praise. “It’s alright baby, you’re doing amazing….” Once he had what he needed, the Floralian patched up Meta’s arm and removed the compressing bandages. “All done, okay? You did so good, you’re going to be okay.” He patted Meta on the head. “Do you want a cookie?”

“Mhm…”

“Let’s go get a cookie then. Do you want me to carry you?”

“Mhm…”

Taranza picked Meta up and carried him to the kitchen, pulling a container of double chocolate cookies out of the cupboard. He handed one to the puffball in his arms, humming softly. “I’ll call Papa Vul to come pick you up… For now, do you want to watch something?” Upon receiving a nod, Taranza carried Meta to the the couch and put on a movie.

An hour later, Meta was sound asleep in Taranza’s arms. The bell at the door jingled as the door opened, revealing Vul’s arrival. “He’s over here,” Taranza whispered.

Vul came over and gently picked Meta up. “What set him off?”

“Blood draw. Spooked by the needle.”

“Not surprising. I reckon he’ll be back to his adult mind by the time he wakes up.”

Taranza gathered up Meta’s belongings and handed them to Vul. “That’s everything! No bill or anything.”

“Thanks Taranza. We’ll see you later.” Vul takes Meta and leaves. Taranza waves as the door closes, and turns the sign in the window to “CLOSED.”

Chapter Text

Against everyone’s advice, Meta Knight had stayed out on patrol in the freezing rain, despite not wearing any insulation. And thanks to that, as well as the lack of sleep he had gotten that week, he had caught a cold.

Meta laid in bed, unfortunately nursing a fever. A few of the knights had been in and out, fetching him soup and a warm washcloth to sweat the fever out. Every part of him was uncomfortable, and despite his body yelling at him to rest, he could not, for the life of him, fall asleep.

He had tried everything, blacking out the windows, counting sheep, adjusting his blanket, he even tried smacking his head against the wall (though Mace had come in and stopped him before that plan could come to fruition]. Nothing worked, and Meta was still wide awake. His frustration was starting to get the better of him as he felt his head going fuzzy.

Sailor Dee was making her rounds around the ship when she passed Meta Knight’s room, hearing whining inside. She knocked on the door and was met with only a frustrated squeak. Slowly opening the door, she saw Meta tangled up in his blankets, eyes watering in frustration. “Hey cap, you alright? You seem to be in a bit of a pickle.”

“Nnnn!” Meta yanked himself forward again, tipping himself off the bed. Thankfully, Sailor was there in an instant to prevent the puffball from hitting the floor.

“Careful there, don’t want you getting hurt.” Sailor untangled Meta’s blankets, freeing him. It’s odd seeing Sir Meta Knight like this… While she had heard of Meta’s regression from the rest of the crew, she had only seen glimpses of it with her own eyes. Bottles and toys left unattended in the break room, coloring pages and scribbled drawings hung on Vul’s bedroom walls… But she had never actually met little Meta before. Until now, at least, when the puffball was staring into her eyes, seemingly unsure of how to react. She contemplated getting Vul, but everyone else was busy…

Screw it, I can take care of him! What’s the worst that could happen?

Sailor patted him on the head. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna get upset, alright? This is new to me, but I’m gonna do my best.” Meta smiled, before letting out a small sneeze. “First of all, let’s get you back into bed.” She lifted him up and into bed, gently laying his blanket over him. “Do you want me to sing to you?”

Meta clapped happily. “I’ll take that as a yes!” She racked her brain for something to sing. She didn’t know many lullabies, and a lot of the songs she knew… weren’t really appropriate for a small child. Eventually, she settled on a few shanties Vul had sung to her as a small child. However, at the end, Meta still had not fallen asleep. “Hmmm… what else can I do…” She looked through the room, finding a few more blankets. “Do you want these?” A nod in response, and Sailor piled them on. But he still could not fall asleep.

She tried everything she could think of, warm milk, rain sounds… But none of it worked. She could tell Meta was getting cranky, and dreaded that she may not find a solution before it turned into a meltdown. “Ugh… what else could I possibly try??” Her patience was beginning to grow thin… Their attempts were interrupted, however, by the sound of the door opening. In the doorframe stood Axe Knight with an amused look on his face.

"Having trouble?" hhe asked.

"Try as we might, he just can’t fall asleep," Sailor said, exasperated.

“Have you tried his plushie?” Axe asked.

“What plushie?”

Axe walked over to Meta’s closet and pulled out a chest. Opening it, he pulled out a plush of a blipper and a small case. “Meta, do you want your paci?”

Meta gave a nod, reaching out. Axe walked over and put the pacifier in his mouth, before handing him the plushie. Lo and behold, Meta’s eyes slowly closed as he snuggled closer to his plush. Sailor looked at Axe speechlessly.

He chuckled at Sailor’s reaction. “They're his comfort items. He keeps 'em in the chest in his closet." 

"Why didn't I think of that…" Sailor sighed. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem, it’s your first time after all.” Axe reassured her. “Just some advice for next time.”

Sailor thought about it. While her first time taking care of little Meta hadn’t gone smoothly, she would likely have a chance to make up for it. And next time, she would have more resources to help her. She hoped she would be able to have a better day with the little knight. And whenever that next time would be, Sailor knew she would be looking forward to it.

Chapter Text

“Where could that Dee be?”

Dedede walked through the halls of the castle, frowning. He had been looking for Bandana Dee for hours, and no luck. Kirby didn’t know where he was, Meta and Sailor didn’t know… He wasn’t even buying juice at Magolor’s shoppe! And to be honest, while Dedede didn’t consider himself a worrying type, he was starting to become one.

He walked past a pair of Waddle Dee guards, who to his surprise, started cooing like they had just seen a baby Scarfy. “Eh? What are you two gushing over?” he asked.

The first guard chuckled. “Did you not notice?”

“Notice what?”

Just then, Dedede felt movement in his coat’s hood. “What the-” He carefully pulled his coat off, only to find Bandee sleeping inside. His heart melted at the sight, and he couldn’t help but smile. “So that’s where you’ve been, kiddo.”

Upon hearing his voice, Bandee groggily opened his eyes, blinking. “Wanya….”

“Mornin’, apple pie. How’re you feelin’?”

“Wa…” Bandee sleepily reached for Dedede. “Wawa…”

Dedede hugged him close. “Feelin’ little, or just sleepy?”

“Wan…” Bandee held up a single claw, before yawning and settling into Dedede’s chest.

“One? Wow, that’s really small,” Dedede said. “Have you eaten today?” A shake of the Dee’s head provided a “no” as his answer. “How ‘bout I make a bottle for you? Get you fed and back to sleep?” Bandee nodded, eyes closed again. Dedede smiled. “Alright, let’s get that taken care of.”

Dedede carried the sleepy boy in his arms as he walked to the kitchen. “Alright, cinnamon sugar…” He hummed softly as he pulled cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla from the pantry, heating up milk on the stove. Bandee drifted in and out of sleep against Dedede’s chest. Steady purring could be heard, causing Dedede to quietly coo at the baby in his arms. “You’re just so adorable, kiddo…” A small murmur in response. Once everything had been mixed in, he took the pot off the stove and waited for it to cool, eventually pouring it into a bottle. “There, let’s go eat.”

Dedede carried Bandee to his bedroom and sat in the rocking chair, cradling the Dee in his arms. “Alrighty kiddo, open up.” He gently nudged the bottle’s nub to Bandee’s invisible lips. He smiled as Bandee began suckling on the bottle, apparently hungrier than he had thought. “That’s my boy,” he cooed. The bottle was empty in almost no time. Bandee happily murmured, cuddling closer to Dedede.

“Do you want me, or your bed?” Dedede asked. Bandee only gripped him tighter in response. Dedede chuckled. “Well, that answers that question.” He began to rock, humming softly. Within only a few minutes, soft snores came from Bandee as he fell asleep. Dedede smiled and pressed a kiss to Bandee’s head. “Goodnight, kiddo. Love ya.” And with that, the king of Dreamland fell asleep as well, sinking into his dreams.

Chapter Text

Mags was sick. Something to do with his magic being out of balance… he was too tired to think. But not only was he sick, he was bored out of his mind. 

Taranza had told him to stay in bed, which meant there wasn’t much he could do at the moment. He’d normally amuse himself with his magic, but with this particular condition, that was out of the question. He had tried reading, but for some reason, the books in his room weren’t holding his attention. To find something else, however, would mean getting up and going to the library, which was much too far away in his current state. And so he laid in bed, buried under blankets, staring up at the ceiling.

Swamped by blankets, Mags was starting to feel small. He pulled his phone off of his nightstand and sent a text to Taranza.

Starting to feel little. Come over?

Of course! I’ll be there soon.

<3

<3

That left him to wait for Taranza to arrive. It was getting hard to keep his eyes open… Oh well, if Taranza arrived while he was asleep, then the Lor would let him in. Plus he’d have the energy to play with him later! Smiling to himself, Mags drifted asleep, prepared for sweet dreams.

He woke up in darkness. He cast a simple light spell- all he could muster, in his weakened state- but it barely illuminated the room at all. “H-Hello? Ranza? A-Anyone?”

Hello again, False Paradise.

Magolor’s breath hitched. Not that voice again no no nonono-

A deep chuckle. Did you think you escaped me?

“You- You’re dead. I destroyed you. ”

Did you really believe you could get away from me? An eye formed in the darkness, staring into Mags’s soul. I will always be here. And you will always be nothing but a puppet.

He screamed- and he woke up again, back in his bedroom. His breath was shaking as he tried to put himself back together. Everything felt fuzzier than it had before, everything seemed bigger- even more so than it usually did when he regressed. One thing cut through the haze, and it was fear. Unable to do anything else, Mags curled up in bed and wailed.

Taranza was no stranger to nightmares. He still suffered from them from time to time, and a few of his friends were subject to unique circumstances that prevented the Fountain of Dreams from protecting them. He supposed he could consider himself a natural at comforting his friends after their bad dreams, and even without being notified of the matter he could recognize the signs.

The wailing coming from Magolor’s ship, however, was new.

Taranza rushed to the Lor. The entrance was already visible, and he had barely made it to the ramp before the door opened. He gave a rushed thanks to the ship for being urgent and made his way to Magolor’s room.

“Maggie? Maggie? What’s wrong, bébé?” Taranza asked frantically. 

"N-Ni'mare- hic - gon' get me-" Mags dissolved into hiccups and sobs, reaching for Taranza. Taranza came over and gently squeezed him, picking him up and sitting on the bed to set him on his lap.

"Shhhhhh…. Nothing's going to get you, Maggie."

"P-pwomise?"

"I promise." Taranza gave Mags a kiss on the forehead and pulled him close. He started to hum and rock back and forth, hoping it would help Mags relax.

It did seem to help, and tears slowly stopped flowing down Magolor's face. His hand drifted to his mouth.

Taranza noticed Mags beginning to suck on his thumb. He gently pulled his hand away. "No no, bébé, that's icky, you're going to get hairballs." He paused for a moment- Mags never sucked on his thumb. He always considered himself too much of a big kid for that kind of thing…. "Maggie?" Mags looked up at him, tilting his head. "How old are you, bébé?" It seemed Mags was taking longer than usual to process the question, but when he did, he held up one claw. It took all of Taranza's willpower to not squeal. "Oh, you are just the littlest baby, aren't you? Here, I'll get you a paci, okay?"

Rummaging around in his bag, he managed to find a clean spare pacifier- blue, Magolor’s favorite color. Smiling softly, he took it out of the case and popped it into Mags’ mouth. “There we go, bébé. Do you like that?” Mags purred, suckling happily. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Taranza pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You’re so sweet… I’ll stay with you for as long as you need to fall asleep, okay?”

“Mhm…” Mags sleepily murmured. Within moments, he fell asleep, resting on top of Taranza’s chest. Taranza patted his head, humming softly.

“Good night, bébé. Sweet dreams.”