Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

An aeon ago in a remote corner of the galaxy, dust from a collapsing star gathered and came to life.

It awoke falling through the darkness of space, a lonely comet streaking across the never-ending void. Its destination was no more. Nobody had welcomed it to the world.

It was so cold. It was so, so small and so, so hungry. So alone, for so long. It shivered without warmth, cried without comfort and starved without food. It had no name. It held out hope.

It called out for help one more time like the dying wail of an imploding star.

It petered out and faded away. Large hands snapped its dimming shell up at last. Cold, cruel hands that sapped its last shred of hope and warmth and squeezed it until it couldn't breathe. "Come, my forsaken treasure from the stars, let me reshape you. I shall make you better than you or anyone could ever dream of."

It was so cold. And it was so weak. Father fed it. Father improved it. Father cut the weakness out of it and drew out its strength. Father showed it the glory of victory and the consequences of failure. It learned the motivation of pain and the weight of despair. It learned what nightmares were and how to spread them.

It had wings and magic now. Father had taught it well, taught it how to punish, how to betray. It could lure its prey in with its innocent face, then finish them with claws and fangs. "Strike fear in their hearts, then feast all you want, my dwarf star! Fill the emptiness in your core and never go hungry again!" All it had to do was to become a monster. A vicious, obedient pet.

It was good at it. It was the best at it! It was Father's useful weapon that knew no restraint! Father was so proud of it!

It was still so cold. And it was still so small. It made a secret friend who taught it how to smile. It learned about mercy and kindness. It learned about sweets. Its eyes shone! Its core felt warm and full at last!

Father didn't show mercy. Father made it feast and scolded it for its hesitation. Father punished it and discarded it on a desolate planet for its weakness. It was so cold again and it was in so much pain. So ravenously empty and lost.

Somebody found it. It did the only thing it knew. It lured them in and finished them with claws and fangs, as expected of Father's obedient pet. Its core was empty and cold as ice. It was strong and broken and victorious. Its prey had been so afraid. It had feasted and was no longer hungry. Father had taught it well. Father would be proud of it again.

Father would find use for it again.

Father never came back.

He was a monster with no name, no master and no purpose.

Meta Knight opened his eyes. Out of all the nightmares he'd had in his life, this was definitely the most irritating one, if only because he wasn't sure how much of it was memory and how much his imagination running wild with flowery nonsense and terrible what-ifs. He'd had one like it around this time every year for as long as he could remember. But it couldn't be true. Nobody remembered their own birth like that. It was just his mind wanting a different explanation for his origins than what his first master had given him.

He wasn't supposed to have nightmares anymore. Nobody in Dreamland was. Nightmare was defeated! There shouldn't be a sliver left of him anywhere, in anything. Or anyone.

He sat up, rubbed his face and looked at the time. Three o' clock. Much too early to get up, but he didn't feel like trying to sleep again yet. He shivered. It wasn't winter yet, was it? Then why did the old injury in his right wing ache like it was? Why did his core feel heavy with ice?

He got up, turned on the light and paced around his bedroom. Moving would help him warm up. He stretched his wings to relieve the tension that had built up in them. Round and round he went, from his bed, to his desk, to his cabinet and back in endless pursuit of warmth. His limbs had warmed up a little now, but his insides were still a ball of ice.

It was half past three and pacing was getting old. Plus, now he was dizzy too. Time for another plan. He sat down on his bed, opened the hidden compartment in his nightstand and took out his emergency chocolate bar. That usually helped him feel better.

The chocolate helped a little. With every piece that melted in his mouth he felt a little warmth return to him. He still wasn't ready to go back to sleep. Maybe he would read his book in the mean time. It would be nice if he could finish and close it off before tomorrow.

After all, he might never get the chance again after tomorrow.

Three days earlier Kirby had asked him a question he'd always dreaded.

"Meta Knight? When is your birthday? What kind of party would you like?"

He'd frozen. His birthday? Did he even have anything that qualified as a birthday? He couldn't tell Kirby about his origins when he didn't fully understand them himself. When they would only raise more unanswerable questions. But the boy wanted an answer. "I don't celebrate my birthday. There's no use for it." He looked away. Please drop the subject.

"Poyo? No birthday? But birthdays are so fun! You can have cake and presents and you can invite your friends and have a party!" Kirby beamed at him. Why not have a party for Meta Knight!

Sigh. He didn't want to disappoint the child. "I know that, Kirby. I know you love birthdays. But I don't love my birthday." Another year of existence didn't feel like something worth celebrating.

"But—"

"No! I said no. We will not speak of this again. Never ask about my birthday again." He spread his wings and took off. Aye, maybe that was too harsh. But he could not have this conversation right now! Or Kirby would want to know more about his origins and their uncanny resemblance to each other.

He couldn't let the truth come out. Not yet.

That afternoon Kirby rested on top of the castle roof. He liked coming here when he had to think about difficult things. King Dedede didn't like it so much, though.

Meta Knight had looked very upset earlier. He didn't even want to answer the question about his birthday! Meta Knight was normally polite to him, so why was this time different? Kirby tilted his head. Maybe Meta Knight had never had a fun birthday party and now didn't like parties anymore? But he always came to Kirby's birthday! Even if he only visited for a short time and stood quietly in the corner most of the time.

He laid down on his back, spread out and closed his eyes. Caaake. He really wanted cake. Birthday cake... Yummy...! Surprise party...for Meta Knight...? He jolted awake. Maybe somebody else knew when his birthday was! Then they could have a surprise party after all!

Time to investigate! He curled himself up and rolled off of the roof. "Wheeee~!"

He fell, bounced off a turret, landed a couple meters down and bounced up onto a flat surface. A balcony? He sat up and looked at the doors leading inside the castle. Oh! He knew this place. This was King Dedede's study! He walked closer and looked inside through the window in the door to see if he was here. Maybe King Dedede knew when Meta Knight's birthday was!

King Dedede sat at his desk, a letter in hand. Meta Knight'd written him that, some kind of unofficial report, 'n' his elegant handwritin' was as always impeccable. Now if only he could go 'n' figure out what the sentence "We must take into consideration the subject of averting the imminent decline of staff morale by diverting resources towards proper nourishment to the exclusion of instant noodles." was s'pposed to mean, he'd be golden. He leaned back in his chair. If Meta Knight wrote it, it was probably important, but he was kinda too busy makin' sure his attendants ate their veggies instead of junk food to go 'n' worry about whatever he wanted exclusive instant noodles for!

Maybe he just needed some fresh air. He'd go 'n' open the door a crack, do some stretches, give the ol' grey matter a rest. He got up, headed for the door — 'n' found an uninvited guest gazin' up at him.

That cursed pink ball was just standin' there...menacingly.

"Nope." Dedede closed the curtains and turned back to his chair. "Not dealin' with that today."

Tappin' on the door. Bangin' on the door? A gale-force wind rattlin' his door?! He sprinted back, opened the curtains and gestured at Kirby to stop. "Oi, alright! I'll hear ya out, if ye stop yer inhalin'!"

Kirby quieted down and Dedede opened the doors. He crossed his arms and puffed out his chest. "This better be important, ya li'l scamp! Y'should know, I was doin' my job 'n' nothin' else, so ye'd better not be here to scold me for stealin' or breakin' or somesuch again!"

Kirby looked up at King Dedede. He didn't have his hammer with him, so he couldn't really do much other than huff and puff at him. He stepped forward into the room. "It's about Meta Knight."

Dedede immediately deflated. "What? What happened to him?" He picked Kirby up, resistin' the urge to rattle him. "Is he hurt? Speak to me, Kirbs!"

Kirby blinked at him. "I don't think so?" He smiled at King Dedede. "I just wanted to ask when his birthday is!"

Now it was Dedede's turn to blink. "His birthday?" He pouted. "W-Well, I ain't tellin' ya that!"

Kirby pouted right back at him. "Why not? You don't want to have a surprise party for him?

Dedede blushed. "No! I mean, of course a party for him would be great!" He let his head hang. "...I dunno when his birthday is. He never told me." An' after he dodged the question the first time he'd never asked his knight when his birthday was again! Darn, that one stung. How his knight put up with him, he'd never get. He put Kirby back on the ground. Now that he was thinkin' 'bout it, Meta Knight wasn't what ye'd call generous with background information, now was he? He'd said barely a bitty thing 'bout his life before arrivin' on Popstar with the first couple of them Meta-Knights of his.

"King Dedede?"

He'd puzzled out a thing or two himself in time, of course. Like the way he always acted weird 'round this time a' year, actin' all frosty 'n' grave when the winter proper hadn't even dug it's claws into the land yet! Maybe a party would bring the cheer outta him again? What kind of cake would he like? Would he even eat any in front of 'em? How many guests would he be willin' to put up with? What special gift should he get him?

"King Dedede!" He pulled on Dedede's robe.

Aw, darn it! "What! Can't a guy think in peace?"

"If we don't know when his real birthday is we can still have a party, right? Let's have a party on the day he came here for the first time!" Kirby looked up at Dedede. He always celebrated his own birthday on the day he landed on Popstar!

Now, he had to give his pink pest credit, that there's an idea! The anniversary for that was...when again? It'd been some dull day in autumn just like this one when he'd arrived sudden as a storm with his crew 'n' offered their services. That sure had shaken things up, 'specially when he gave that quick as lightnin' demonstration of his skills. He reckoned that was the fastest he'd ever promoted someone. Never did get a straight answer outta him why he came to Dreamland though. Not back then, when he'd been darned frosty 'n' grave still.

Wait. Frosty 'n' grave? Oh, right. He remembered now.

That anniversary was in three days.

Meta Knight flew faster and faster in an effort to clear his mind. Why couldn't he calm down? What was this icy pit inside him that plagued him so? Was it really just uneasiness about something so trivial as a birthday party? Surely he could have endured it for a while. But the restlessness only grew deeper.

Around him stars flickered against a backdrop of auroras. Was he really up that high, approaching the border of space? He looked down at the frosty landscape and felt his insides grow colder and colder when he saw more and more rainbows.

He'd unthinkingly flown to Rainbow Resort, the home of the Dream Spring and its blessed Fountain of Dreams. The normally serene resting place of the Star Rod, a piece of which he'd once guarded as his first great test after allying with Dedede.

The place where Nightmare had met his end at Kirby's hand.

It must be a sign. The consequences of that fateful day...he would have to face them soon.

King Dedede headed towards the courtyard where the guards would be soon finishin' their drills. Now it wasn't a guard per se that he was lookin' for. No, it was somethin' else. Somethin' blue. Somethin' waddlin' into view right there! "Oi! Bandana boy!"

Bandee whipped around at the booming voice. "Wanya! Great King Dedede! Hello!" He made his best approximation of the guard salute. Oh, he couldn't get used to the real King Dedede talking to him...towering over him too...

Heh. He'd taken a shine to the kid. He hadn't known what to think when Meta Knight'd first dragged him along 'n' informed him the kid would be practicin' with the guards thrice weekly. Didn't seem like a real good plan, 'specially when he turned out to be that darned Kirby's friend. But wouldn'tcha know, the kid was barely a teen 'n' already gave some of the adults a run for their money! Heh. Droppin' some prodigy child in with the guards to give 'em a wake-up call was just like his Meta Knight! Now he was sure at some point the commander of the guard had made the kid their unofficial mascot.

But that wasn't why he wanted to see the kid. "Bandee, was it? Y'wouldn't happen to know when Meta Knight's birthday is, now would'ya?"

"Excuse me, Great King? Um, no, we haven't talked about birthdays. Sir Meta Knight likes to keep it professional." Although he was almost entirely sure that fancy whetstone left on his doorstep last week was a late birthday gift from him.

"Darn. Oh well. Me 'n' Kirby made a truce so we can organise a li'l party for him anyway. He ain't doin' it himself so we gotta do it for him, y'see? An' since he brought ya in 'n' all, yer invited if y'want."

A party! "I'd love to— I mean, I would be most honoured, Great King Dedede!

Meta Knight had been cold inside for days now. That always happened around this time of the year and as always his crew was concerned about him. Their furtive glances and whispering told him as much. But this wasn't something he could or would bother them with. So instead of their routine morning excercises together he had gone to the mountains to train his endurance and recenter himself. He needed to focus. If nothing else, he at least had Galaxia on his side. He would hone his skill with the blade. Going back to the basics and reminding himself of his strengths would fill the icy pit in his core. It always had before. Soon he would be a strong and capable leader to his crew again.

He drew Galaxia and raised her up — only to find her cold and heavy.

He couldn't feel her presence. He couldn't feel the reassuring hum of his blade telling him that as her Champion she was with him, he was worthy and he would be alright, as he always had. His blade was cold and quiet metal and nothing else. She hadn't rejected him, not exactly, or he would be in a world of pain right now. But she didn't respond to him either. Perhaps she had cut herself off from him because she'd realised the same thing he had.

Then this really was the end. He would do it tomorrow. The truth would come out then, for better or for worse.

Dedede paced back 'n' forth. All the party preparations were done. All of 'em except for one. Nobody had seen or heard of Meta Knight today. He'd even asked the Meta-Knights but they couldn't tell him anythin' other than that their leader had gone to hone himself at the crack of dawn again like he had yesterday. Now this sure wasn't the first time Meta Knight'd gone off on some ascetic trainin' somewhere on his own. But it sure was darned inconvenient he'd picked today. Maybe he'd caught wind of the party 'n' was lyin' low?

He looked at Kirby 'n' Bandee who'd put so much effort into drawin' 'n' craftin' a banner. He thought about the poor cake he'd specially made accordin' to —what he hoped was— Meta Knight's tastes, that would slowly dry out 'n' wither away by tomorrow if it was left uneaten. Now that Meta Knight'd better have a good excuse for stayin' away 'n' worryin everyone 'n' twarthin' their efforts to cheer him up!

He felt a tug at his robe. Kirby!

"King Dedede, I'm hungry! Can I have something to eat?" Kirby gazed up at him. He knew he wasn't allowed to touch the cake yet, but...

"Oi! Y'better not be thinkin' 'bout gobblin' up that whole thing! Y'know that's for Meta Knight!" This is what he got for allowin' the li'l scamp into his castle.

"When is he coming? I really wanna start the party!"

Ah, darn it! "I told you, I don't have the bittiest idea. He was s'pposed to be here already on the summons I sent him."

Kirby sat down, dejected. "I'm so hungry..."

Well now, what was he s'pposed to do 'bout that? He'd better come up with somethin' quick, though, or the pesky puff would be off raidin' his pantry. Unless... "Fine. I got somethin' for ya." He pulled a paper bag with three cinnamon rolls out of his robe. He'd been savin' those for a snack since breakfast, but this was an emergency. He handed one to Kirby, who swallowed it whole and offered another to Bandee, who thankfully had somethin' resemblin' table manners.

"Yay!" Kirby blinked. "I'm still hungry though."

Oh, that pink pest! He oughta clobber him! "Fine, y'can have the last one, it's stale anyway." Kirby swallowed that one whole too. "Y'know what? Why don'tcha eat the bag too while yer at it! At least clean up the trash, if ya intend on robbin' me blind."

"Okay!" Kirby inhaled the bag. "I feel better now. Thanks King Dedede!" He happily went back to drawing.

Dedede went back to pacin'. Darn it. There went his snack, gone with the wind, never to be seen again. An' all that pacin' had him sweatin' now! He sat down 'n' reached into his robe for his handkerchief. Huh? Somethin' fell on the ground when he pulled it out.

A folded note? In his pocket? With today's date on it? Oi, he knew that handwritin'! When did Meta Knight slip this in here?

"The day has come for me to cleanse myself and clear my conscience for good. You and only you will share this nightmarish burden with me as you did back then. You know what must be done and where."

Cryptic as always. Although, cleanse myself? You and only you will share this nightmarish burden? You know where?

Could he be talkin' 'bout the Fountain of Dreams? So that's where he'd gone 'n' disappeared to! But why would Meta Knight want to meet him there? Why now? Why did he have the stinkin' feelin' he wasn't goin' to like this in the ittiest bit?

Chapter Text

King Dedede arrived at the Dream Spring. His feet and lungs were sore from runnin' the last bit up the chilly mountains. He'd ditched his transport a good bit back 'n' told them he was goin' for a stroll 'n' not to wait for him. He'd told Bandee he had to attend to some sudden kingly business 'n' his special mission was to keep Kirby occupied and away from the cake until he came back. Couldn't risk them kids followin' him here. Now if only he'd got more than a single clue what Meta Knight wanted from him. Even for him this was too darned cryptic!

He slowed down. This here place never stopped bein' pretty. Though some of the memories he had of this place were a li'l less than pretty. That'd sure been a mess of a time with Nightmare showin' up 'n' all. Kirby'd been li'l still 'n' drew the wrong conclusions. He'd himself been too stubborn to tell Kirby the plan 'n' that had backfired worse than that time he did a Hammer Flip near a hay bale!

It'd also been the first major incident after officially allyin' himself with Meta Knight. His then new knight sure had acted strangely that time. Goin' off 'n' testin' Kirby, then tossin' the pesky puffball candy the next second? Did he want Kirby to win or not? Meta'd assured him every time that, yes, he was commited to stoppin' Nightmare. The waverin' though...he'd always figured there was some personal baggage there.

Looks like he was about to find out what about.

Meta Knight sat on the ground facing the Dream Fountain. He'd thrown his cape, his sword and his armor aside. Only his mask and gloves remained.

Dedede stopped behind him. There was somethin' off about all this. Meta's wings were droopin' low 'n' too darn twitchy. And throwin' off his knightly getup like that outside? Somethin' was very wrong. "Meta Knight?"

"Sire." So his chosen king had come. Alone, like instructed. That was reassuring. Or maybe not. That depended on whether he understood what was about to happen.

Dedede sat down next to him. "D'ya mind tellin' me what's the big issue? This isn't about party favours anymore, is it?"

"Party favours? No. This is about my first master. My creator." The time was ripe. He was so tired of being cold. So tired of lying and hiding. So tired of denying what must be done.

"Creator?" What now?

Meta Knight slowly turned towards Dedede. His eyes dimmed and flickered erratically. "Have you never wondered where I came from? What I am? You should have." His voice was not his own anymore.

So. Them suspicions 'bout personal baggage were true then. "I'm startin' to get an inklin' here 'bout who yer first master was." He looked over the spring at the Fountain. At the Star Rod that'd once sealed Nightmare. He let himself consider the idea that his friend, his confidant, his darn knight was created by that vile lunatic.

"Do you remember? When we discovered him in the Fountain of Dreams and broke the Star Rod to trap him? How foolish we were." Dedede would be disgusted with him by now. Even he couldn't miss the obvious forever.

"I sure do. Can't forget about it, never could." They were just goin' to keep 'm stuck in there 'n' pray, even though that'd sure taken the Dream out of Dreamland.

"I used to call him Father."

Father. That Nightmare a father? "Can't imagine the loon did a good job raisin' ya then. Yer nothin' like him. Other than yer like of capes, I s'ppose."

What? Was Dedede reassuring him? "He raised me to be a ruthless monster, then discarded me when I disobeyed. I failed him." Which didn't stop him from sending "gifts" in the form of nightmares often enough to remind him of his place. And his regrets. He'd hoped the Fountain of Dreams would do more than take the edge off and make them feel less real.

Dedede turned to him. "Now, I'm sure yer workin' towards somethin' with this?" If those vibes he was gettin' weren't nasty, he'd eat his hat right here! Meta Knight was in a bad place for sure.

No more delays. "I wanted to stop him. But I lacked the courage." He closed his eyes. "We made a child fight him, Dedede! A child! Kirby was powerful enough to pull it off, but he was still so young at the time. He could barely speak! He had no idea what was going on, who he was going up against!"

There it was. "Is that why ye acted so strangely at the time? Keepin' a piece of that Star Rod for me, yet helpin' Kirby?"

"I wanted Nightmare gone." He breathed in deep. "I didn't have the courage to fight him myself. He created me. I thought that if he was defeated I would disappear alongside him." He shook his head. "Hah. Instead, I woke up the next day, finally free from his influence. Or so I thought. The nightmares never fully disappeared. The reminder of my cowardice never disappeared. The worry that trying to escape his influence was what led him here in the first place never disappeared. The fear he lives on in me never disappeared."

"Y'think he could do that? Live on in you?"

"Why not? He thrives on nightmares and I'm the only person in Dreamland who regularly has them. If anyone has a sliver of him in them it's me." It was now or never. He would ask him the question that weighed on him like a millstone. "I want you to do it."

Dedede blinked. "What? Y'want me to do what?"

"Shoot me with the Star Rod. Eradicate the last sliver of Nightmare that still lives in me." It was out. The word was out and couldn't be taken back now.

Dedede shook his head. "Now hold on one darn second! Shoot ya? I can't shoot my own knight, now can I?" This was going from bad to worse. Just how messed up did that Nightmare have Meta?!

Meta Knight snapped at him. "Then you would have Kirby do it? You would have a child look me in the eye and end me? One he considers to be his friend? It would break him!" He could not, would not extinguish the stars in Kirby's eyes like that!

"No! Of course not! That kid loves ya! I lo—" He swallowed. "I need ya! I'm sayin' shootin' ya is ridiculous! Y'think Kirby wouldn't have my stars for doin' such a thing t'ya? Who's to say this will even work?" Stop. Please stop, darn it!

"Who's to say it won't? It's the only way to make sure." He stood up and balled his fist. "You would be doing the world a favour. For once." He couldn't stop now! It was too late for that. If Dedede couldn't see that, he would take matters in his own hands!

Dedede took his arm. Meta Knight wasn't himself right now. "Don't. Don't say that." Meta Knight tried to pull away. "I forbid it! I'll make it a decree 'n' everythin' if y'don't stop this!"

"You are not my master." He ripped his arm from Dedede's grasp and backed away. "And I truly have been a coward." He threw his mask at Dedede's face, spread his wings, flew towards the fountain and perched on top. "I will do now what I should have done back then!" It didn't matter anymore what Dedede thought of him. He was beyond caring now. He would finally fulfill his purpose and set things right. It would all be over soon.

"Meta Knight? Are ya serious?!" Dedede got up and stumbled towards the fountain. He finally got to see more than a glimpse of his dear Meta's face 'n' it had to happen like this? He had to see his face scrunched 'n' in tears? He had to see him suffer?

"Yes, I am! I will face my destiny and end this nightmare right now!" He pulled the Star Rod from the fountain. It didn't burn him yet. Must be by the grace of his gloves and adrenaline.

"Don't! Don't even think about doin' that, ya nut!" Dedede threw off his robe and stepped into the water. Darn it! Was he really doin' this?!

"Fool! Don't try to stop me, Dedede! You know this is necessary!" He aimed the rod at himself. He knew what he was doing it for. The good of the people of Dreamland. The good of Popstar and the galaxy! Every last trace of Nightmare must be eradicated!

"No, ya nut! If— If ya shoot yerself with that thing, I'll— I'll knock ya over the head! Don't do this! Please! Meta!"

He stuck the Star Rod in his mouth and fired.

The stars hit his insides and launched him off the fountain, into the icy water. His core, no, his whole body fizzed. The world faded. Now there was only darkness, cold and suffocation left for him. It would all be over soon.

He was so cold. He was so small. He was falling through the darkness of space, a lonely comet streaking across the never-ending void. His destination was to be no more.

He was once again alone in the world with nobody to welcome him or warm him up. He'd made sure of that himself. Hadn't he? Didn't he deserve this? He had committed atrocities. At least this way he, a pale imitation of life, could make amends and take the last sliver of Nightmare with him. It was better this way. His people, his friends, would realise that one day. They would realise sometimes a sacrifice was necessary. He had lived long enough. They would be fine without him. Kirby wouldn't have to finish the job. Kirby wouldn't have to betray his friend, grow cold like him and lose the light in his eyes. Dedede would recover and find a more worthy knight someday. Bandee's training was in good hands. His Meta-Knights were brave and diligent. They would survive and protect Dreamland when he was gone.

He was so cold. He felt so small.

Hands grabbed him and dragged him away. To his end, no doubt. His lungs were burning. The ringing in his head was unbearable. Why wasn't he gone yet? Why hadn't he dissolved yet in the purifying waters of the Dream Spring?

He was being squeezed. He couldn't breathe. He—

Somebody slapped him across the face. "Wake up, ya nut! Cough that darn water up! D'ya need resuscitatin'?"

He opened his mouth and heaved. He heaved and retched and coughed until he was sure he was emptier than empty. Spring water; the ghosts of breakfasts past, present and future; his hopes and dreams; that key chain he'd been looking for all week. And finally, he forcibly expelled a puddle of disgusting black bile that fizzed and disappeared when it touched the Fountain's water. His body had never done that before. He'd never seen that before!

When he was limp and done, someone cradled him. Slowly, the world came back into focus. "...Dedede?"

Dedede was soaked and sobbing, his hat askew. "Ya moron! What were y'thinkin'! Y'can't just leave me behind like that!"

"...I'm alive? I'm still here?" He blinked. Why was he still here? He was Nightmare's creation! A monster! He shouldn't be able to stand the Dream Spring!

"Of course yer still here! Why wouldn't y'be? Ye thought ye'd just go 'n' turn into smoke now when y'didn't earlier with Nightmare?" Oh, Meta...

"Don't you get it? This means my life was a lie! If I'm not Nightmare's creation, then what am I? Where did he find me? Why did he find me? Why did he corrupt me like this?" He was fully crying now. He knew less about himself than ever. He was more exposed than ever.

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it d—"

"No, ya daft blueberry! It doesn't matter one bit anymore! Who knows if he made yer body wholesale or altered ye! Who cares what he wanted to turn ya into 'n' why! Even if we can't answer that, ye turned over a new leaf by 'n' for yerself 'n' made yerself somethin' else! He made yer body, but he didn't make ya the one and only Meta Knight. You did!"

What.

Dedede wiped Meta Knight's tears away. "By the time y'came here to Dreamland, by the time I met ya, y'weren't the same thing he made ya into. He didn't control yer purpose anymore. Y'weren't his plaything anymore."

Dedede was right. Even when he couldn't answer those questions about his origins, even though Nightmare had altered his body, broken him and taken parts of him away, he still had his mind and free will. Nightmare had hollowed him out and filled him with malice, but he had scraped that out again and replaced it with honour, manners and discipline. He chose to change and be better. He had forged for himself what fate had not granted him. He had honed his body, made it his own and created himself anew. He was his own master who decided his own purpose. His body was good enough. He was good enough.

He always had been.

"Dedede..." Where— How could be begin to thank him? He reached for Dedede's face to wipe his tears away. "You're right. Thank you. Thank you so much." Had his eyes always been this beautiful deep blue?

He pulled him closer. "Yer welcome, ya blueberry bastard. Now promise me ye'll never do that again!"

"I won't do that again. I don't have to anymore." He didn't care to stray like this ever again. "I promise."

"Glad to hear ye've come to yer senses." Dedede smiled weakly. "I like yer face, by the way. Those are some cute yet menacin' li'l fangs!"

Oh. Right. He'd flung his mask away. He covered his face in his hands, blushing terribly. Damn it! Why did the fool have to say that now! They were having a moment!

Heh. "It's a li'l late for that now, Meta! Wahaha!" Aw, his blueberry knight was still as shy as ever. He really hoped Meta Knight would stick around at his side for years to come.

He'd found his mask and put his armour and his cape back on. One last thing to do. He reached for Galaxia. Would she recognise him? Would she respond to him again?

He took her hilt and raised her up. Warmth and a familiar hum spread through his hand, into his body, as if Galaxia wanted to say "Welcome back to the light, my Champion. I've missed you."

He held her upright in front of him with both hands and closed his eyes. "I've missed you too, my dear Galaxia. I'm glad to be back in your grace. I will not betray your faith in me." He sheathed her and sat down next to Dedede, who had just put the Star Rod back in its resting place.

Dedede frowned. "That sword talkin' to ya or somethin'?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it talking, but I can feel Galaxia's presence, yes. It's a hum, almost like words. Whenever I'm faced with crossroads in my life, I put my hand on her hilt and I can feel she's on my side and she trusts my judgment. She's the guiding light that shows me the path away from darkness. She strengthens me and keeps me grounded." The shock of being chosen by a legendary sword his younger, brasher self had only tried to find as a self-imposed challenge had woken him up to his ability to better himself. She'd shown him he was destined for more than the life and inevitable terrible death of a glorified rogue and he'd resolved to live up to her expectations.

She? Darn. He'd have to compete with a sword now? "I should'a reckoned mental connections were par for the course for a legendary sword."

They stayed quiet for a while, letting the calming clattering of the Fountain of Dreams wash over them and soothe their minds.

Meta Knight spoke up first. "So, Sire, did I hear that right? You really did organise a party for me? Even though I said I didn't want one?"

Dedede rubbed his neck. "Yeah, well, it was Kirby's idea 'n' for once I agreed with the pink pest. Yer always so down 'round this time a' year 'n' I wanted to cheer ya up." He sighed. "Now when I say party, it was really just a small get-together with friends 'n' gifts 'n' a scrumptious cake. I know ya better than y'think. I figured ye'd never agree to a whole crowd 'n' speeches 'n' the like."

"You would be right." He should really be mad. He should. But it was almost endearing how his king had wanted to cheer him up. Even if Dedede didn't fully understand why this day bothered him so much. "What kind of cake?"

"Huh? What, d'ye mean yer interested after all?" Was he givin' him an openin' to convince him? "Chocolate sponge cake, with blueberry filling, whipped cream 'n' chocolate sprinkles. Made it myself."

"I see. That does sound 'scrumptious' as you called it, Sire." He could eat a slice. Or devour the whole thing. He was ravenous and that was not a safe state to be in, not for him or anyone near. "Congratulations, you've convinced me."

"I have?" That was easier than he'd expected. "Are ya ready to go back with me, then?"

"I would like to leave this place. But I'm in no condition to fly us back." Meta Knight shivered and wrapped his cape around him tighter. The chilly heights of Rainbow Resort were wearing on him.

"Ya don't say?" Dedede slumped a little. "I'm all tuckered out too." Gettin' here took him long enough by himself 'n' that was before their ordeal just now! If they had to walk back all tired like this, they wouldn't make it back before night! So much for the party.

Dedede looked at his feet. He 'n' the li'l pink scamp'd worked together to start the party specially because they both cared about Meta Knight 'n' wanted to cheer him up. Made a truce 'n' everythin'! Heh. He could stoop to swallowin' his pride the one extra time then. He sighed. "Time to call in the cavalry."

Dedede took out a phone from his robe and dialed a number. Kirby picked up. "Oi! Kirbs! Please tell me y'haven't eaten the whole cake yet. Y'haven't touched it? Atta boy. Look, I need a favour. Can ya get yer Warp Star over here to pick me and Meta Knight up? Yes, I found him. No, I'll explain later. We're at the Dream Spring." He leaned forward. "No, the Dream Spring! Y'know, the Fountain of Dreams in Rainbow Resort? Y'know how to get there, right? Clever boy. See ya in a bit." He put the phone away. "He should be here soon."

Meta Knight looked up. "Oh? Since when do you actually use that thing? And to voluntarily call Kirby, too, of all people?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I usually forget to bring it." He blushed. "The puffball 'n' I made a party truce. For you."

"So that's how it is." Hm! How mature of them. He shivered again. Even if the icy pit was gone, his feet and hands were chilled to their last fiber.

"Yer still cold, huh."

"I've been cold for days. I can't seem to shake it off."

Dedede looked down at his robe. His nice, fluffy, warm robe. His body always dried fast and his clothes had also dried up quite a bit after their splashin' around. He could part with it for a li'l while, if it was for his favourite knight. He took off the robe and draped it over Meta Knight.

"Sire? What are you doing? You'll be cold too!"

"None of that now! Yer shiverin' so hard it's painful to watch. Y'can borrow it until our ride gets here. Royal decree!"

"Well, I can't argue with that. I appreciate it." Oh, Dedede. You big fool. You big-hearted fool. He smiled a little, despite himself.

Dedede's robe was warm. It was soft and warm and it smelled like home. It smelled like him and Dreamland and...stale cinnamon rolls? Oh, of course it would. He wrapped it around himself like a protective cocoon and closed his eyes.

Soon he wasn't cold anymore. He wasn't small anymore, or alone. Soon he would go back to the castle and he would eat. Then he wouldn't be hungry anymore either. He would be warm and full and welcome.

Chapter Text

Kirby arrived not long afterwards and miraculously managed not to ask too many invasive questions they'd have to dodge. Meta Knight wasn't quite ready to tell him what happened yet. But after the party was over, he'd talk with him. Kirby deserved some answers, even if he wasn't ready for the full story yet. He hoped to get answers to some of his own questions from Kirby too. No more lies from now on.

Another miracle was the fact they made it back to the castle in one piece. Kirby proved quite the speed demon, whizzing past the mountains, weaving through the trees and skidding centimeters over a lake to show them the cool waves his Warp Star made. As his crowning achievement he almost crashed into the side of Mt. Dedede before pulling up at the last second, nearly launching them into the stratosphere. It took every fiber of strength they had left to hang on and pray he at least had the ability to land, never mind land gently.

So when they saw the courtyard approach at a rather unhealthy speed, Meta Knight grabbed Dedede and jumped ship. Kirby had miscalculated the speed and angle of his landing, embedded his Warp Star into the ground and bounced halfway across the courtyard.

Kirby hit the castle wall, blinked a couple times and called out to them. "I'm okay!" He jumped up, smiling and none the worse for wear aside from a small scrape or two and some dirt on his face. "That was fun! I almost landed properly today!" He ran towards them as they descended.

King Dedede just about kissed the ground when Meta Knight set him down. His face had turned an unpleasant green and Meta Knight couldn't blame him in the slightest. He, too, was quite done with flying and death-defying for now. He would have a stern word with Kirby about his abysmal landing skills later. After the party.

When Dedede could stand again and he'd weakly knocked Kirby over the head, they entered the castle.

They entered the room where the party —well, small get-together— was held. Bandee ran towards them.

"Great King Dedede, Kirby, Sir Meta Knight! You're back! Did the kingly business go well?" He looked at their disheveled appearances. "Is everyone okay?" Uh-oh. Did he even want to know what happened here?

"Just peachy, kid. Never been better. Don't ask." King Dedede grabbed a chair and sat down. Bein' on solid ground never felt so darn good before. He'd seen his fill of stars today. Next time he'd walk!

Kirby ran up to Bandee and hugged him. "Hihi! I flew us back but I think I went a little too fast, because I crashed in the courtyard! I'm okay though."

Bandee blinked. So they crashed! That explained a lot. He remembered his own experience flying with Kirby well. Too well. "Um. I'm glad you're okay, Kirby." He wasn't so sure if that was true for everyone.

Meta Knight had hung back and looked around. He saw a banner on the wall, clearly homemade. It said: "Happy Arrival Anniversary Sir Meta Knight!" The outline of the writing was straightforward and neat, but the letters had been enthousiastically colored in with a rainbow of crayons. The rest of the banner was decorated with various doodles: flowers, cake, gifts, stars, all four of their faces. A combo of vibrant but childishly crude and simple but clear drawings. A mix of Kirby and Bandee's work, then. On the table he saw a platter. It was covered now, but probably contained the cake Dedede had told him about.

"Sir Meta Knight? Hello? Are you okay too?" Bandee had walked up to him, a questioning look in his brown eyes.

He nodded. "Shaken, more than I'd expected to be. But I will recover." Young Bandee didn't need to know from what just yet. He looked up at the banner. "Happy arrival anniversary, huh? I suppose that's technically not a birthday, so I can't scold anyone here for going behind my back after I said I don't celebrate mine." Hmph! They got him on that one.

They all sat down around the table, still frazzled and a little unsure about the situation.

Kirby bounced on his chair and slapped the table. "Can we eat the cake now? I bet it's yummy!" He'd been so good about not eating it all day! He couldn't wait anymore!

Dedede pulled the platter towards himself 'n' took the cover off. "Oi! Slow down there, Kirbs! Meta Knight gets cake first, remember? Just wait one more bitty minute 'n' ye can dig in too." He cut the cake 'n' put the nicest slice in front of Meta Knight.

Bandee spoke up. "Sir Meta Knight? Should we leave or look away now so you can eat in peace?" He'd never seen the knight eat before! It felt almost like something forbidden nobody was meant to see.

Meta Knight shook his head. "No need, Bandee. Not today." As if he had the energy to care anymore. At this point he just needed to eat, any way he had to. He loosened the strap of his mask slightly and tilted it forward just enough to fit a fork underneath.

Dedede's eyes bugged out, Kirby tilted his head inquisitively and Bandee seemed not to know where to look.

Right. "I'd prefer it if you didn't do that. It makes it more awkward." Almost like they were more embarassed than him. "Please, take your own slices and let's eat together."

Everyone put a slice on their plates and dug in. Kirby even restrained himself enough to use a fork for once, because he wanted to savour the taste. He'd waited the whole day, after all! It wouldn't be fun if the cake was gone in two seconds. Yum! He would aim for at least thirty seconds today!

Meta Knight also picked up his fork, sliced off a piece of the cake and brought it to his mouth. Hmm! It tasted surprisingly light despite the whipped cream. The chocolate flavour was rich but not overwhelming, the blueberry jam a good mixture of sweet and sour. Dedede had put in legitimate thought and effort on this one!

Dedede leaned forward, trying to seem casual. "So, what d'ye think 'bout it?" Had he made the right guess 'bout Meta Knight's tastes?

Meta Knight took another big bite and savoured it. He'd let Dedede sweat a little longer. "Hmm. The slight acidity and bitterness of the blueberries and dark chocolate contrasts well with the sweetness of the cake and the whipped cream. Not too dry." He smiled behind his mask at Dedede resisting leaning forward further. "Yes, Sire. I like it. You've always been good at baking." Hah! He could have a crumb of praise, as a treat.

Dedede's relief was audible. He'd met his knight's standards! Something told him it should be the other way 'round, but he didn't care in the ittiest bit. Seeing his Meta happy again was all he wanted right now!

Bandee looked around the table. Somehow he felt like he was intruding on something he shouldn't know about yet. Kirby didn't seem to have picked up on it, though. He was staring longingly at the rest of the cake, probably hoping to get another slice. But now that Bandee saw the way Great King Dedede and Sir Meta Knight acted in more or less private, it suddenly made a lot more sense how easily he'd been accepted in the castle. He turned back to his plate to finish his cake. Yeah, he was not burning his nubs on that one, no siree!

Their little party was winding down. They'd finished the rest of the cake, he'd sent word to his crew he was safe but tired and would be staying the night at the castle and he'd received his gifts: several years worth of quality armour polish from Dedede, a scale model of Galaxia whittled out of a small log from Bandee and nineteen chocolate bars from Kirby. The twentieth chocolate bar had apparently "escaped" overnight. Hm! Where could that possibly have gone to?

They'd played some games and discovered none of them were any good at Quartets or Ludo, despite both games seeming so simple at first. After that, Dedede had tried to teach Kirby how to play chess, but not only did he not understand the rules, it took a lot of effort to stop him from putting the captured pieces in his mouth. Bandee had unsurprisingly fared a lot better, although he'd had some difficulty with understanding how the knight moved and remembering to capture en passant.

Now Meta Knight was tired. Not in a bad way anymore, but still. Time to have that chat with Kirby he'd been putting off. He'd taken Kirby to a quiet room, where they now sat down.

"Kirby, I wanted to speak with you privately for a moment. There are some things I want to clear up with you, questions we both deserve answers to." Things he should've let himself think and talk about ages ago. "I want to ask you a question. You don't have to answer me if you don't want to." He breathed in. "Do you remember where you came from?"

Kirby tilted his head. "Where I came from? I don't really know."

Ah. Of course. His false hope had come back to taunt him. "You don't remember anything?"

Kirby thought very deeply. "I think I came from space." He leaned forward. "I woke up flying through space. Like a comet!"

Oh, really? A comet, you say... "You were flying? How long did you fly for?"

"No idea! I'd only just woken up so I didn't know what time it was yet! I don't think I even knew what time was yet. I was just a baby. I didn't know a lot of things."

He was so close. "What did it feel like to wake up flying through space? Were you lonely? Was it scary?" He swallowed. "Were you cold?"

"A little. Flying like that wasn't fun like flying with my Warp Star. I couldn't steer and I got really hungry too after a while." He looked up and smiled. "It was okay though! I knew I was going to Popstar! I just had to hold on a little longer. And then when I landed here people were really nice to me, so I wasn't lonely or hungry anymore."

Huh. "You knew you were going to Popstar?"

"Yeah! I didn't know why I knew that, but I had a picture in my mind of where I was going and it looked really nice!"

His core wrenched. "That's...wonderful, Kirby. I'm glad." So he hadn't suffered for long. Good.

Kirby sank into thought. "Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if I missed Popstar. Would I just keep flying forever?" He looked up, his eyes wide and wavering. "That would be really bad, wouldn't it? Then I could never have dinner or play with anyone or look at the sunrise! I never would've met you, or Bandee or King Dedede!"

"...Yes. I think that would've been very lonely indeed." His core was agony. "I'm really glad that didn't happen to you." He reached for Kirby's face. "I'm really glad you didn't lose the sparkle in your eyes." May that joyful sparkle remain for many more years.

Kirby frowned. "Meta Knight? Are you okay? Your eyes are flickering." Was something wrong with him?

"I'm fine." No. No more lies. "...I might not be fine." He closed his eyes and took Kirby's hands. "Kirby, today has been a very taxing day for me. A couple days ago you asked me why I don't like my birthday and I think you deserve an answer. It isn't the party that bothered me. Parties are fine." He looked at Kirby with dimmed eyes. "It's because I've been thinking about my origins a lot lately. I don't like thinking about that. It hurts me to think about that." More than he hoped Kirby would ever fathom.

"Why? Where did you come from?"

"I'm not sure anymore." Maybe it was time. He could trust Kirby. "I want you to look at something. It's something you've caught a glimpse of a couple times before."

"Oh? Are you gonna show me your face?" He smiled wide! Meta Knight never showed his face!

Clever child. "As an exception, yes. I want you to look at me and tell me what you think." He undid the clasp and took off his mask. He knew it was safe. He knew Kirby wouldn't hate him. He knew he was fed and in control enough to trust himself without the mask. It still felt strange and exposed.

Kirby stared at him, fascinated. "You look like me but older!"

Meta Knight blushed. He'd expected to hear that, but...

Kirby got up and touched his face. "There they are! I knew you still had your blushies! You always have those when your mask breaks!"

Ah. Th-This was very sudden. And he hadn't gotten to the difficult part yet. "Now, Kirby. What do you think this resemblance means?"

Kirby tilted his head. "Are we the same species? Does that mean I'll get bat wings too? Why do you have little fangs? Why do your eyes glow? Can you inhale like me?"

"One question at a time!" He breathed deeply. "I don't know if we're really the same species. My wings, fangs and eyes are...difficult to explain." Those had been "enhancements", if you could call them that. But could he inhale? Maybe he could at one point, he'd been ravenous enough for it. If he could it was likely removed to make him easier to handle. He couldn't remember. "I don't think I can inhale. Not like you. If my insides are a pocket dimension it's not nearly as big or as powerful as yours. Maybe only twice as big as my outside." Although his core was apparently durable enough to resist a point blank Star Rod shot. As well as plenty of inorganic and indigestible materials he'd ingested without thinking or in his sleep, which he'd then have to awkwardly hack up later. Hmph. Not the most pleasant or dignified of experiences.

Anyway. He might as well finish the story now. "I was told I was an imitation. I was told a very bad person created me to do very bad things. I believed that until today." He pet Kirby's head. "Your answer to my question has cleared something up for me. You said you woke up flying through space like a comet. I think I remember something like that happening to me too."

"Really? What planet did you land on? Was it a nice planet? Did you have to fly very far?"

Oh. Oh, Kirby. Why did he have to ask that. "I think I missed the planet I was supposed to land on. I flew for a long time. A very long time." An eternity. It had felt like an eternity of unbearable deprivation and despair. "I was very lonely and very hungry."

"Oh." Kirby hugged him. "It's okay! You're here now! Now you don't have to be lonely or hungry anymore."

Hm. If only it was that easy. He returned the hug. "I know."

Kirby looked up at him, mesmerized by his eyes again. So glowy...

Why was Kirby staring so intensely at him like that? "Do my eyes frighten you?"

Kirby shook his head. "No, I like your eyes! They're pretty, like fireflies! Sometimes when I can't sleep, I go outside to look for fireflies. I like the way they glow in the night! When I see them, I feel happy." Kirby beamed at him.

"Huh?" Pretty...like fireflies? Oh, Kirby... He covered his face. That was the kindest thing anyone had ever said about his eyes.

"Are you sad?" Kirby rubbed cheeks with him. "I know what to do! I'm gonna send you good thoughts!"

Suddenly Meta Knight's mind was filled with the vivid concept of cherry blossom petals carried by the spring breeze, dappled sunlight shining through the tree deck, dewdrops glistening on blades of grass at dawn, chasing after fireflies at night, splashing on the pebbles in a little brook full of fresh water, a full belly and lots of laughter. These must be things that give Kirby joy!

Kirby looked up. "Did you feel it? Did you feel the good thoughts?"

"Yes, I think I did. How did you do that?" Was this something only Kirby could do? Could he...do this too? "Hm! I must ask you to teach me how."

"Um, I just thought it at you really hard?"

So instinct again, then. He'd always believed his instincts were unnatural and bad, something to be supressed and trained out of him. But maybe not all instincts were equal. Maybe some were normal. Good, even. "Kirby. I want to try doing that too. May I?"

Kirby nodded, so Meta Knight gingerly returned the cheek rub and closed his eyes.

He let instinct guide him and thought about the simple joys of life. Sharing a campfire with old friends, a perfect cup of mocha coffee served with artisanal bonbons, feeling the strength in his wings as he flew faster and faster, gentle rain refreshing his skin on a hot summer day and witnessing a magnificent thunderstorm from a safe shelter.

"Poyo..." Kirby blinked. Most people couldn't do that back at him. Not as vivid as this. Meta Knight really must be like him! "That campfire felt really nice."

"It worked? You felt the warmth of the fire?" So they were alike! Not everything that tied him to his kind had been taken from him! Hm. That meant he had much yet to learn and discover in the near future.

He stood up, his eyes shining full of renewed joy and purpose. "Kirby, I thank you from the whole of my being. I feel enlightened and rejuvenated now. Let's rejoin the others." He put his mask back on and extended his hand to Kirby. They walked back together. He would protect him from suffering like he had. He would protect this country and this planet!

It had been a long journey, but he'd finally reached his destination. No longer would he be cold, alone and empty. He'd found himself, his purpose, his people and a place to call home.