The Missing Ally

Chapter 10 The Truth Comes Out

Bandanna Waddle Dee stared up at Escargoon, seeing his face. Desperate, awaiting answers. He knew he couldn't hide what the king thought of him. Despite the king definitely not wanting him to say this information. Especially to the Escargoon. In fact he made him promise not too say it. But it was either Escargoon having a panic attack and not being alright. Or him just telling him the truth he deserved to know. Bandanna Dee sat gently on floor before letting out a long stressed out sigh. "The Kings feelings on you.. are...hard to explain. You should sit down for this Escargoon." Bandanna Dee looked up to the snail from where he had sat waiting for him to sit next to him.

Escargoon sat down gently still looking depressed by the thought of the kings feelings on him being negative. Bandanna Dee had to just say it so Escargoon could be OK and stop worrying. "The King has talked about you since you left. In fact you were one of the only things he would talk about...At least too me." Escargoon felt himself tense up from the shock of that. The king..missed him? He had acted like he did not care at all when he had left. Was it all a facade he put on when he was leaving? "He talks about me? A-all the time? What do you mean?" Escargoon stuttered. "All the time to me and the other Waddle Dee's he would talk about how great you were! How you were the only person who truly understood him." Bandanna Dee explained making many hand motions as he spoke.

Escargoon felt his heart rate go faster as all this was said. The king never said any of this too him! Never! But I guess he had too much pride to show him the softer sides of his personality. "How did he even function when I had left? When I walked away from the castle he was just waving with a blank look on his face. I thought he..Didn't care I had left.." Escargoon went on looking at the ground as he spoke his mind. "You didn't see him when you were out of sight... He had stared there for a good 30 minutes before...Well...crying his eyes out." Bandanna Dee confessed sounding nervous to admit this about the king. Escargoon began to tear up again as his eyes widened once more, he was terrible at controlling his emotions at moments like this. "He..He cried? Just because I had left?" The snail said his voice sounding choked up.

Bandanna Dee nodded before continuing to explain. "Me and the other Waddle Dee's had comforted him for months over it..He never really got over it. He later just kept it to himself..Well mostly to himself. I was the one he would tell everything too about it." Escargoon listened not believing what he was hearing. "Wh-what did he say about me?.." The snail sobbed lightly. "He said a lot. The things that I guess stood out to me was how much he said he regretted doing to you and saying to you. He would always say if he could take back anything he had done. That's what he would take back." Bandanna Dee uttered gently. Escargoon was shocked by all this news. It was so much for him to take in one sitting but he...just needed to hear more of the true feelings of Dedede. He had to know the truth. "What else did he say?" The mollusk asked trying to focus but having trouble.

"He always talked about how much he missed you, How much he just wanted to hear your voice again. Even you whining about something would have made him happy. At least that's what he said those were his words." No one had ever thought of him like this before. It was so much for Escargoon to handle he had trouble taking it all in, his tears proved that. "M-my voice? He always said I was..A-annoying.." Escargoon wept. Bandanna Dee wrapped an arm around the mollusk to comfort him. "He said it was something he couldn't live without. So your voice couldn't have been that annoying to him if that's the case." Bandanna Dee added as he looked up at Escargoon reassuringly.

"I-I just can't believe he actually cares about me... I-is there anything else I should know?" Escargoon asked once more. Bandanna Dee smiled sadly. "Yeah... He would always say...Before I say this I want you too know. This..may hit you a bit hard.." Bandanna Dee confessed going to hold Escargoon's hand hoping it would cushion the blow. Escargoon wiped the tears off his face before responding. "I'll be OK. I have to know." Bandanna Dee nodded and closed his eyes. "He would always say. I need him. I can't live without him. There's so much I wish I told him before he left. There's so much I wish I hadn't hid from him. I wish I had a chance to just, make him come back. I would do better. I would be better...I just want him to come back to me. I want him to just come home..to me.." Bandanna Dee's voice grew weaker by the end. Sounding saddened by that comment as well.

Escargoon couldn't keep his emotions at bay anymore. It was too much. Just picturing the king saying that, sounding so broken and alone. Worst part was he wouldn't have done that if he had stayed. But he had no idea he had cared this much! He had no idea cause Dedede never showed this too him! How was he supposed to know he wasn't OK?! How was he supposed to help him if he didn't let him in! Escargoon covered his face once more crying harder than before. Bandanna Dee held his hand softly. "Th-this still effects him now I suppose... Even after seeing you he still feels like that..." Bandanna Dee tried to console him hoping he would be OK. "Why didn't he tell me! I could have helped him! He needed someone and he just left me in the dark!" Escargoon cried lifting his head up sounding hurt. Bandanna Dee thought for a moment. "I mean...Its not to late to help him..." Bandanna Dee suggested.

Escargoon's pupils became smaller realizing...He was right. He can help him now. He needs him now. Escargoon stood up tears still dripping down his face. "Where do you think Dedede would be right now?" Escargoon asked his voice sounding choked up but confident. Bandanna Dee stood up as well. "Well..The place he normally goes to think is the balcony of the castle...That's your best bet." The small body guard inquired. Escargoon pat Bandannas head before beginning to walk off. "Th-thank you Bandanna...You've helped me a lot...I'm about to fix all this. I promise" Escargoon said looking to Bandanna Dee as he opened the door to leave the room. Bandanna Dee smiled a bit " Good luck Escargoon" The bandanna wearing dee spoke out before watching the mollusk close the door.

Once the door was closed Escargoon bolted for the stairs. If he remembered where all the rooms were Dedede's was all the way at the top. He was willing to run for it. He wanted to get to him as fast as possible. He needed someone as much as he was gonna deny it. He could lie and lie and lie but Escargoon knew that Dedede needed to speak to him and him alone. He had too know what he needed to say. Even if it meant forcing the truth out him. He had to. For the sake of the king. For the sake of himself. For the sake of the two as a whole. Escargoon wiped his own tears of his face as he ran up to get to him. In what felt like a second he had made it to the kings room. He opened the door softly which was surprisingly unlocked. He gently walked up to the door which lead to the balcony. He opened it up and a gust of wind hit his face as he opened the doors, he shut his eyes in response. He opened his eyes after the wind had stopped blowing in his face too see Dedede standing there back turned from him. Dedede turned his head gently too see who opened it.

"Heh..Well guess you found me... Thought you weren't even gonna come looking to be honest...I wouldn't a blamed you if you didn't." A weak smile was on the kings face as he looked to him. "Sire...Please. Listen to me for a moment. I need you to give me your full attention." The snail let out sounding as confident as he could.

"If that's what you want Goonie...I'm all ears.."