The knock on effects

Day Two

Warm daylight filtered through the curtains of castle Dedede, and Tiff felt a pleasant feeling. Both of her parents were busy in the village, and her brother was playing with the other kids. The norm, essentially.

Again, it brought her back to the previous day. Everyone had a norm, and she couldn't help but feel like that normal routine had changed as they helped Kirby to train, day in, day out. But, Kirby had decided to replace training sessions with more playtime, causing his mentor to become a less and less active figure in his life.

As she waded into the deep ocean of thoughts, she heard a knock on the door, pulling her back into reality. Whoever it was desperately needed her, or whoever it was they expected to open the door, because it was unbelievably early.

Opening the door, she found it to be Meta Knight, which undoubtedly surprised her.

Warmly, she greeted him, to which he returned a greeting. What bothered her was how he wasn't out training Kirby or at least checking-in on him. He looked to be making minimal effort, which wasn't like him.

"I thought you'd be watching over Kirby at this hour, what brings you here?" Tiff asked, concerned for him as she was the previous day.

"He doesn't seem to need my assistance; he can handle himself for the time being." He answered, looking a bit unsure about his own words, a hint of concern leaking into his voice.

"Oh." Was all Tiff could say, stunned by how he'd practically given up on his mentee. She knew he hadn't just abandoned him, because he was stronger than that,"Well, is there anything you need from me?"

It felt weird asking the question he would usually ask, when she went searching for him. Typically, she'd set off running whenever a demon beast was roaming, only to be met with the same question.

"Yes, actually." His two worded response was unnerving. Usually, he'd have everything sorted on his own. If he needed her help, then it was surely something important.

Determined to fix whatever problem Dedede had started, she nodded, allowing him to continue. His answer was not one she'd anticipated.

"I've come for your response on this, because I can't find a reasonable answer, despite putting hours of thinking into it."

Again, she nodded for him to continue.

"Seeing Dreamland this peaceful is something that everyone has waiting years for. But, now that it is peaceful, I can't seem to find a reason for me to be here. Peace just isn't something I'm used to."

His words, alongside the thoughts she experienced yesterday, made her belief feel true. She somehow knew he would end up saying a word or two about how peace just didn't feel right for him, since he was always on the battlefield. Oddly enough, the battlefield was the place that he felt pure tranquility. Without a battle, there was no reason. After everything he'd gone through, peace felt different to him.

"I think you just need to adjust to it, that's all. Just try to take your mind off of fighting and try focusing on something else, like a potential hobby or a dream you have." Tiff advised, a smile creeping across her face.

He didn't seem disappointed with the advice, neither did he seem satisfied with it. Instead, he nodded awkwardly, acting like he was both dissatisfied and satisfied by it.

Thanking her for the advice, he stood up and pushed his cape behind himself, shaking out any creases in it's ripples.

Watching him leave felt..wrong. Part of her was screaming for her to follow him and ensure that he was actually putting his time to good use, instead of feeling that dread and hopelessness, mixed with the thoughts of him not being deserving of an average life.