The Missing Ally

Chapter 11 Lets Talk

Escargoon took a step closer too Dedede getting ready to speak his mind. It was actually hard even taking a step closer...Dedede had an energy to him at that moment that made it hard to approach him. "Sire... Why did you disappear like that..I-i wanna know why.." Escargoon stuttered attempting to sound like nothing was up and he didn't know anything. Dedede sighed lightly looking away from him, back still turned. "Your afraid of me..Ain't you.." Dedede grunted his voice sounding very broken. Escargoon wasn't expecting that. I mean Dedede was quite the scary person if he wanted to be but...He didn't fear him as much as he used too. A small part of him feared when he would get mad at someone but that was it.

'No sire I am not scared of you." Escargoon stood confidently as he said that. "If I walked up to you right now you would back up. Your still afraid of me Goonie don't lie.." Dedede grunted out again still refusing to look at him. Escargoon began to tense up in anger. "Sire I am not afraid of you! You do not scare me!" The snail snarled trying to get his point across. Dedede in response swiftly turned to him in quite a fast motion. His face being blank very emotionless. Escargoon jumped back a small squeak escaping him. He had done what Dedede expected him to do. "See? I was right. You are afraid." The king verified still looking emotionless...Before he began to feel his facade break. "I'm a monsta ain't I..." The king let out as the tears in his eyes began to show themselves.

Escargoon was surprised he very quickly responded. "No sire that's not true!" He yelled out to him hoping he would just listen. "Yes I am! I still scare you! I've scarred ya for life Escargoon!" Dedede's voice shaking as he spoke. The king turned away once more. "I-...I don't deserve you goonie...You can do way better than me..I don't know why you even looked forward too seeing me again.." Dedede sobbed softly. Escargoon tried to stay calm but was having some trouble with doing so. He walked closer to Dedede. "You didn't scar me..Th-that was years ago... I'm not worried about that anymore.." Escargoon replied. King Dedede shook his head in response. "How you even have the heart to forgive me? I deserved to never see you again...That's the only punishment that's fitting for all the things I did to ya."

Escargoon was floored by all this. He knows his behavior back then was horrible, he was still beating himself up about it. "Sire...Please just..stop hurting yourself over this! Its been four years! Things have changed between us!" Escargoon yelped out grabbing onto the kings sleeve cuff. King Dedede looked down at the mollusk, he felt his whole body tighten up at just looking at him. Thinking about what he had done to him back then. How much pain he must have been in cause of him. It practically haunted him. "Its not OK...I never cleared it all up...I never fixed nothing... I never told you.." Dedede whimpered softly. Escargoon grabbed even tighter onto the sleeve cuff of the kings robe. "Then just tell me! Stop bottling it all up! I don't want to be left in the dark about all the things that hurt you sire. Just tell me whats hurting you so I can help you through it!" Escargoon called out just hoping Dedede would open up to him.

Dedede looked away once more before turning to the mollusk, swiftly holding both his hands in his own. "I'm sorry Escargoon! I'm sorry for everything! Everything!" Dedede wailed out shutting his eyes as he did so. Allowing the tears to just flow out of him at that point. "I was so stupid I only realized how much I had done to you when you left! I thought about it and thought about it and I wanted to call just to tell you but...I thought you had moved on..I knew if you did. You wouldn't want me there." Escargoon held Dedede's hand softly in return. "Sire...I..i-" Before Escargoon could say a word, Dedede continued on. "Its OK if you don't wanna ever talk to me again after this. I understand why you wouldn't. But..I wanted you too know how sorry I am and how much I regret doing it all. I changed so much so I can become better. For me, for Kirby and..for you too.. But just..figured I'd let you know all that.."

"S-sire p-please just let me speak for a moment..." Escargoon stumbled a bit. All of this was...A lot. Like a lot on him. Dedede gently held him steady with one hand as the snail began to speak. "I forgive you your majesty... I...I talked to Bandanna Dee about you. He told me everything. About how much you missed me..My voice, my help my..my everything.." Escargoon empathized holding the kings hand gently. Dedede was astonished. He had told him everything? He knew it all? Dedede stared down at the snail looking anxious knowing they still had much to discuss. "He told me how much...you couldn't live without me..How you just wanted me home..." Escargoon lamented his voice beginning to sound similar to Dedede's, very choked up. Suddenly Dedede felt the snails familiar touch wrapped around him in a hug. "Sire I missed you too and I can't live without you either! It was so painful not being with you! I thought about you every day!" Escargoon cried out into Dedede.

Dedede continued to let himself open up to Escargoon and cry along with him. "I-i'm just...so happy you didn't forget bout me Goonie.." Dedede sobbed, wrapping his arms around Escargoon tightly. Escargoon softly smiled as he cried. "I could never forget you..You remember the vow we made...We vowed to never be apart.. And even though we were apart for a short time. We c-came back together..Just like we had promised.." Escargoon confirmed smiling remembering the day they made that vow. Dedede chuckled as he wept. "Y-you remembered..I thought you forgot bout that whole thing." Dedede smiled warmly. Escargoon continued to hug Dedede not wanting to let go. "I could never forget about that day. It was one of the best days of my life.." Escargoon spoke softly resting his head onto the penguin.

King Dedede smiled still crying but not as much anymore. "Goonie..C-can I show you something?" Dedede asked softly looking down at the snail. "S-sure kingy." Escargoon looked up at the king before hesitantly letting go of him. Dedede began to lean gently on the balcony and pointed to a spot with one hand and held Escargoon's hand in the other. Escargoon felt his cheeks get hot as Dedede grabbed onto his hand but he looked to where he had pointed. Before because of all the emotions he couldn't see what a beautiful night it was. The stars were all visible in the sky and the moon lit up the kingdom perfectly. It was quite nice though Escargoon didn't understand what Dedede had been pointing at.

Dedede began to explain looking out to where he had pointed. "Every night I would come out here.. and watch that spot right there since you had left...Cause I remember watching you leave from that very spot...I always watched it hoping one time when I stared at it. I would see you coming back.." Dedede spoke softly as he rested one hand on the balcony. "Ain't it ironic? The one time I wasn't looking you came home" Dedede chuckled in a melancholic way. Escargoon stared out at the spot now, his eyes not being able to look away. "Your majesty..I-I had no idea you were...so thoughtful about these little things.." Escargoon spoke softly as he looked out gripping onto the kings hand. 'W-well...there's a lotta things you don't know bout me yet.. But we got all the time in the world for all that now." Dedede looked down to his companion to see that familiar smile stare back at him. Escargoon sighed softly. "I suppose this takes care of all those bottled up feelings you have been having your majesty?" Escargoon asked smiling sweetly as he looked up to his king. King Dedede looked down for a moment. "Well that's some of it not all of it yet..But.." Dedede pondered speaking quietly. Escargoon continued to look at Dedede now wondering what his brain was up too. "Wh-what is it sire?" The snail asked wondering what else the king wanted to confess.

"Well Escargoon...There is something I gotta get off my chest.."