Heroes of Dreamland Rewritten, Book 1: Stars Amidst Lightning

Chapter 4

Waddle Dee|ワドルディー

I suddenly hear a clang, followed by a grunt of frustration from Meta Knight. Cautiously opening one eye, I'm astonished to see that I've somehow parried his strike and am, for the moment, holding him off.

"Beginner's luck," he harrumphs, launching another attack at me. He seems to be in a worse mood tonight than most. While he's usually rather kind, fair, and gentle towards us Waddle Dees, he's definitely got quite a temper to him, which I've obviously gotten myself on the bad side of here.

There's a good chance that I'm not going to make it out of this alive, but I still have to try. And whether I'd admit it aloud or not, I kinda look up to the guy and wanna impress him. To tell the truth, all of us Waddle Dees kinda look up to him. Not many people are actually brave enough to actually stand up to the King, after all, for fear of meeting the heavy end of a giant hammer.

Honestly, I don't really know much of anything about Sir Meta Knight, but I know that he's been through a lot in his life, way worse than I've ever been through. So now, I narrow my eyes in determination and block his next attack, then send a strike of my own towards him.

"You wish it was just beginner's luck," I murmur just a little bit smugly, as he gazes at me in wonder.

While his eyes change to a deep green of confusion and surprise, he muses, "This cannot be." He swings around me and tries to attack from the back, but I somehow manage to block him again. Starting to gain a small sense of confidence, I feel a hint of what would be a determined smile if I had a mouth grow over my face.

"Attacking from the back? That's low even for you, Sir Knight," I chuckle as I swing my sword in an attempt to knock Galaxia out of his hand. I'm getting into this. Strange as it sounds, seeing as how I'm a servant and have been my whole life, having this sword in my hand feels right. It's hard to explain, but it's as if I've finally gotten my hands on something that I've always been meant to have.

As he makes a swing at my face, he replies in mild annoyance, "Ah, I see you know me. Now it is my turn, both to ask a question and to attack." I parry again, really starting to enjoy myself. "Who are you, who do you work for, and how do you do this, when you are just a simple little Waddle Dee?" he continues, interjecting an attack from his sword in between each question.

"Hey, I only asked one question, which you didn't even answer," I humph right back. "And besides, there's really no need to insult me." Unfortunately, in allowing this insult, I also let my guard down. A moment later, my sword is on the floor and his sword is pointed at my throat. Welp. I should've known I couldn't beat Meta Knight. Fresh sushi, anyone?

Closing eyes, I prepare for the worst and defiantly tilt my head up, offering him a better target for a final blow. When after several seconds, it hasn't come, I finally dare opening one eye. Meta Knight stands in the corner, sword once again sheathed and cape wrapped tightly around himself, looking at me in something distantly resembling curiosity.

Finally, he speaks, while I still sit there, Kirby watching nervously. "Who taught you how to use a sword, or Copy Abilities, for that matter? You're just a Waddle Dee."

I go to get up, only for him to let go of his cape and stand ready to reach for his sword again. With a gulp, I kick out the Copy Ability, making the little sword not far from me vanish along with the hat on my head. Even so, his eyes are still narrowed, tracking me nervously as I stand up and dust myself off.

Feeling a bit irritated by his unjust suspicion, I can't help a little bit of sarcasm. "No one taught me anything. And again with the insults, Sir Knight? Waddle Dees are pretty strong creatures, you know. And we're not simple, either, thank you very much. We can communicate with each other telepathically. It's sort of like we're all one big mind, working together," I explain, feeling a sensation of warmth run through me as I say that last bit. Maybe I'm different from the others, more now than ever before, but they're still where I belong.