Heroes of Dreamland Rewritten, Book 1: Stars Amidst Lightning

Chapter 5

Meta Knight|メタナイト

The next morning comes quickly, arriving long before I expect it to. Before the sun even rises, I get up and run through some sword exercises to clear my head and prepare myself for all of the tasks that face me today.

Some think that I am simply entirely committed to the way of knighthood, that the only reason I spend so much time alone and practicing with my weapon is a striving for my own glory and power. While that is part of it, there is more behind it. Perhaps Nightmare is gone, but there is still plenty of evil out there to be dealt with, as I clearly saw yet again not that long ago.

As long as I draw breath, I have to be prepared to protect the innocent and guard all that is good and Light. The calling of a Star Warrior is not one that can be taken lightly. Perhaps I am the last one (aside from Kirby and a few others) and the idea of our being a noble race is practically obsolete, but until the day I die, I will follow the Star Warrior's Code of Honor and continue to fulfill every duty that is required of me as such.

As I finish an exercise against a dummy, I take several deep breaths, then sheathe my sword and wrap my cape around myself all in one fluid movement. Without any hesitation, I walk swiftly out of my training room (which doubles as my bedroom) and start off toward my secret library.

Not long after, I am joined by a chipper Kirby. "Hiya, Meta Knight poyo!" he greets me, a wide grin and almost a jarful of strawberry preserves on his face. After barely managing to stifle a chuckle, I begin to wonder whether he considers that his breakfast or a midnight snack. He does not usually get up this early, so I wonder what caused it today.

I give him a nod to acknowledge his presence but do not stop walking quickly toward my current destination. He is unperturbed and continues following me anyway, making me finally give him an emotionless glance and question, "Kirby. What are you doing?"

"Wanna see the girl Waddle, poyo," he replies with an innocent smile. "She nice. Kirby wanna watch her play swords with Meta Knight poyo."

While I feel offended at having my way of life referred to as mere child's play, I let it pass without comment. Kirby is young and has an extremely optimistic way of looking at the world. While that probably won't serve him well in the majority of his life, it does lead to most people's loving him. I have to admit, his cheerful simplicity really does grow on one more and more the longer they know him.

I am silent for a moment, but then ask him, "So what do you think of Kirby Dee? Do you think she will make for a good warrior and ally?"

Nodding, he opens his mouth to answer, but instead grows wide-eyed at a passing moth and begins chasing it in little hops and skips through the halls, giggling and 'poyo'ing all the way. With a bemused sigh, I shake my head, try to ignore his childish antics, and continue toward the secret library.

Soon I reach the secret passage. "Kirby," I call out calmly, having to smile to myself a little when he acknowledges my summons right away. Keeping my voice flat, I order, "Come. I cannot wait around for you all day."

Giggling, he hurries ahead of me down the passage. I can tell the exact moment he arrives in the secret library by the way the passage suddenly floods with the magical light. Although I know it is caused by magic just as I told Kirby Dee last night, I honestly have no idea who cast the spell that placed it here. However, I do know that it is extremely convenient and helpful.

When I arrive in the library proper, I immediately begin looking around the room for Kirby Dee. Finally, I spot her sitting on one of the bookshelves, sound asleep with her back up against the wall and her paw resting on a pile of books.

Quickly, I take a place standing directly underneath her shelf and call up, "Come, Kirby Dee. It is time to begin your training."

"Wakey-wakey, poyo!" Kirby happily sings out in agreement. When a resulting snore assures us that neither of our attempts at being an alarm clock have worked, he inflates himself, floats up to her, and blows a cloud of concentrated air into her face.

She leaps up in surprise, quickly going on to fall off of the shelf and onto the floor. "Uuuuunh..." she moans, her face stuffed into the woodwork in an almost-comic fashion. Then, in distress, she pops up like a little bolt of red-orange lightning. "Oh, shoot! I'm late! The king'll want his breakfast and-"

"Calm down," I order, smiling to myself just a little, but not nearly enough to cause my masked eyes to change color. "The other Waddle Dees will take care of that. You are no longer just a servant, little one."

"What?" She blinks at me in confusion, quite obviously surprised and rather lost. "You mean... I can really talk? All of that stuff that happened last night wasn't just a really good dream? I'm really free??"

Kirby giggles and smiles at her in disbelieving wonder. "Silly Waddle, poyo. Girl Waddle talks just fine!"

She tilts her head and closes her eyes at him in a Waddle Dee-style smile, making him grin at her and give her a chipper hug, which she returns with a light laugh. I cannot help it, my eyes glow their amused pink for the shortest of seconds. Kirby loves everyone, and it seems that he has found someone who returns his child-like affections without complaint.

Clearing my throat, I wait until Kirby Dee turns to me and nods in acknowledgement.

"No, none of it was a dream, little one. Now tell me," I begin, then gesture up to the shelf with my head while keeping my cape wrapped around me, "what in Dream Land were you doing up there?"

"What?" she wonders blankly, then seems to start to explain with a, "Well, I..." But then she pauses for a long moment, as if she isn't sure what she wants to tell me. Finally, she laughs nervously and rubs the back of her head in embarrassment. "Well, um, you see, I missed sleeping on the shelves with the other Waddle Dees all around me. So I tried to make do with what I had. Plus, the couch was way too soft to be comfortable. For me, anyway, I mean."

I stare at her in disbelief, which should be obvious even if I do have a mask on. "'Too soft?' What do you mean by that?"

She blushes and continues to rub her head in embarrassment, offering me an apologetic 'smile.' "Once a household servant used to lousy sleeping conditions, always a household servant used to lousy sleeping conditions. Am I right?"

With a single soft chuckle, I sigh, "Well then, Household Servant. Come, your training begins now." And with that, I swiftly turn around and walk out of the library, smiling a little bit to myself again when I hear both of the others' eager footsteps following behind me.