A Healing Heart: Part 2

His mask shattered in two and he had fled. Funny how that was still on his list of priorities despite everything that had gone on, that he did not wish to be seen without his mask (although the fact that the secretary was there certainly gave him extra incentive for his uncovered face to not be seen). Kirby had just caught a flicker of his yellow eyes, wide as his mind suddenly cleared and became aware again, before he took off, searching for somewhere to furiously pull off those machine parts, cut those infernal wires, tear apart the delicate innards, slash the metal to pieces.

Or maybe he just didn't want Kirby to see his shame, his shame as awareness suddenly returned to him. Maybe he thought that the secretary would have him compromised again if he had not immediately moved. No, he moved because he needed the Halberd, Kirby needed the Halberd. If there was anything he could do, anything at all, he would do it. The boy needed his help and after everything that had occurred, help was the least that Meta Knight could give.

Breathe, Meta Knight.

Meta Knight hadn't realised he'd been holding his breath as soon as he had finished the unexpected battle against President Haltmann 2.0, a clone created by the infernal technologies of this company. A clone of a man who ordered his mechanisation and showed no remorse but rather savage interest at seeing a warm body with a beating heart converted into cold steel powered by mechanics. A clone he more than gladly destroyed. He took a lungful of air and then another and then another.

So here you fought Kirby again, Galaxia acknowledged.

Indeed, Meta Knight replied once his head stopped spinning. He cautiously cast his gaze from side to side and inspected his surroundings. He then suddenly thought: Galaxia, you were there, I was wielding you. Surely you should know?

I was disconnected from you, Meta Knight. I could not read your mind. My awareness was limited. I knew you fought Kirby once more but I could not tell where. Do not be so concerned about me, Meta Knight, she added, sensing Meta Knight's anger at how the sword had also been affected by recent events, how the company had also violated his sword. It was but a temporary setback for myself. For once, be concerned for yourself.

…

You are concerned for Kirby.

The boy had fought twice against him in deadly duels, pleading with Meta Knight to stop fighting, to come to his senses, even screaming in pain as the warrior attacked him mercilessly. But Meta Knight neither knew nor cared about this, his only thoughts were to fulfil his objective: eradicate all threats to the company. This child was the biggest threat that the Haltmann Works Company had faced in its entire existence. It had to be stopped. It had to be killed.

… I wonder if the next foe he will face will be too much even for him, Meta Knight admitted. This one was so close, too close. It was not just our world that was in great peril but far more than that.

You will be there to guide him and help him if need be, Galaxia answered. As you always are.

What if I cannot?

You will do, she said with complete certainty.

He's still a child.

A child who even the computer acknowledged had great power, a child who brought down a computer powered by a Nova.

"He's still a child!" Meta Knight shouted, not caring if his voice was heard. "I almost killed him! If he didn't possess such power, I would have killed him in cold blood! I wouldn't have cared! I would have been glad to kill him for the sake of this company! They wanted me to kill the only person that still stood in the way of their project! They could have done what they damn well liked with me! They could have made me hurt Kirby until he begged for death and I still wouldn't have cared! I fought Kirby and I wanted him dead!"

Calm yourself. Remember where you are.

Meta Knight, reminding himself that he was in the deepest point of the Access Ark, where all of the powerful decisions had been made, where the president had built and grown his galaxy-wide business, took several deep breaths and felt a twinge of shame for losing control as he did just now.

Meta Knight, you may lose control like anyone else; do not be ashamed of that. Do not be ashamed of your emotions or else you truly would be a robot.

That statement made Meta Knight start. I…

Yes, and it reminded him that he had already fought a robotic version of himself, a 'stock' Mecha Knight as it had been referred to, and he had taken an unusually savage delight in destroying every last scrap of that foul knock-off, that weaponised, merciless being, that hateful reminder of his previous… predicament. It was with a great sense of fantastic relief that the thing exploded when he delivered his final attack against the machine.

Didn't he always attempt to keep control over his emotions? Didn't the others fear him or distance themselves from him at times because of his stoic, almost cold nature? He only ever let his guard down when he was in the presence of trusted companions and even that was rare. But he needed to remain stoic and always be on the lookout for threats in the event that the kingdom and its people would be attacked again. If that meant distancing himself from others, then so be it.

But perhaps it would be good to let his heart feel a little lighter, be relieved even a little of his own burdens, his own heavy thoughts.

You are concerned for yourself after all, Meta Knight.

I am concerned for Kirby.

The sword glimmered, knowing her warrior's inner thoughts. Indeed you are concerned for Kirby but you are also concerned that control will be taken away from you again at some point in the future and that you will be made to do something you will utterly regret.

Meta Knight stared at nothing in particular before slowly nodding his assent. Kirby has been hurt too much; he did not want to see the child hurt again physically nor mentally, especially so soon. He wondered when all of Kirby's innocence would finally disappear, considering all that he had been through and wondered how on earth he had retained much of his innocence for so long. Yet there were subtle changes. The way he approached many of his opponents nowadays. The sharp, determined glare that he gave the most dangerous of his foes spoke volumes…

You will of course remain strong as you are always do; I do not expect you to be anything else. But know that if something does happen to you, you will always have someone watching out for you as you would for him.

But what if Kirby… what if something happened to him?

Then you would be the one to bring him to his senses and I would guide you.

An event Meta Knight hoped would never happen. Would he even have the power to stop him if that was the case?

I believe you would even though it would undoubtedly hurt you to do so. If the young hero can manage it against the ones whom he admires and respects, then you most certainly can as well.

I hope I never need to do that.

As do I, the sword concurred. But remember that you cannot always be in control much as you would like to be.

I know that.

But I must remind you nevertheless. Terrible, unexpected things can happen but we must deal with them as best as possible even if it's something like this and I am sure you will learn from this experience and become stronger. Isn't that what you normally tell Kirby?

Meta Knight gave a minute smile. I suppose so.

Then take heed of your own lessons. Now, are you sure you didn't suppress yourself whilst fighting the young hero before? Galaxia questioned. Your ability to fight is unparalleled when you are yourself and you rarely go easy on him whilst training.

Meta Knight shook his head. I could not have. I could not even recall what I was doing until my mask broke.

If you insist, Galaxia said with a tone of amusement that suggested she knew more about Meta Knight than Meta Knight knew about himself. Now, I thought we were here on a mission?

Meta Knight gave a single nod and began to cautiously inspect the room for any sign, a sign that proved to be the source of the remnants of invaders still existing in the land. As he did so, he breathed a sigh of relief as the knot in his stomach unravelled itself. Popstar would be safe for a little while longer yet; he would make sure of it. Both it and Kirby.

Meta Knight walked further ahead and suddenly before him a light activated. A single, terrible eye gleamed and looked down upon him – the Mother Computer known as Star Dream.

Star Dream. The master computer of the Haltmann Works Company. The creation that drew up the company's business plans. The creation that had desired to eradicate all organic life.

So, thought Meta Knight coldly, staring at the machine. It did have a back-up system after all. It must have been the one to organise all those clones and robots. Before he could come to a decision of immediately destroying it however, Star Dream began to speak.

What should I do? the masked warrior asked of his sword.

Wait.

"L...O...A...D...I...N...G..."

Star Dream, when fully loaded, focussed its entire attention to the small, winged figure before it. "...You must be... The new admin. Yes. You possess incredible power... ...OK. As a new admin, you must supply your credentials... to the strongest warriors of this planet. Executing SwordmasterEXE."

Don't tell me you didn't feel pride when it said you possess incredible power just then.

I didn't say anything! Meta Knight protested.

I heard you thinking it.

Meta Knight wondered that if he defeated all the opponents Star Dream set out for him, he would be truly accepted as its new admin so that then the first and last action he would perform as its admin would be to shut the thing down for good. Perhaps that was the safer option rather than trying to destroy it knowing what destruction it could cause.

What he didn't expect was for the first opponent to be none other than Dark Matter. Meta Knight could not help but gasp.

But Kirby defeated it!

Dark Matter. A manifestation of evil. An indecipherable being of darkness, of all that was wrong with the universe, the counterpart to the essence of light, a being of pure dark energy.

Wait... it's just a clone, Meta Knight thought with relief.

Even this computer cannot properly process Dark Matter, Galaxia informed Meta Knight. It only had part of the data and it showed. Meta Knight smoothly settled into his usual fighting stance and struck his sword many times against the dark body without receiving a single hit in return. It was sluggish and while its attacks looked strong, Meta Knight flew out of their way and summoning his inner energy, delivered a powerful strike against the enemy, splattering the code cube floor with an unknown dark essence. He caught the edge of a couple more frenzied attacks later but he barely registered them and continued the assault. The battle did not last long before the imperfect clone exploded, revealing its true self only for a fraction of a second.

"...Impressive," Star Dream spoke. "That may have been a bit too easy for the admin... Next up is one whose swordplay resembles a beautiful dance... Let us bring back the most powerful queen from the void. Experience her royal presence and unparalleled fighting skills. She will be a fitting test for you."

Ah, Sectonia, Meta Knight thought. Once the queen of Floria until dethroned by Kirby. However did they manage to make a clone of her?

Sectonia was a more difficult fight than Dark Matter, perhaps because the cloning process, while still imperfect, was more successful, if still lacking a soul (because some things, no matter the level of technology, cannot be cloned). She gracefully struck forward with her twin rapiers, almost catching Meta Knight by surprise, though he managed to avoid much of the blow at the last possible second. Both danced around each other, their blades gleaming under the light of the watchful Star Dream, the computer quietly analysing the skill of the new admin in question.

Sectonia teleported around the room forcing Meta Knight to either occasionally dodge in mid-air or guard when he had little time to dodge. He ignored her scream as his blade sliced into a wing, focussing his entire attention on winning the battle, fighting back while taking as minimal damage as possible. His eyes gleamed as he spun into the clone with his sharp, shining blade, with his signature Mach Tornado. He took a winding blow to the side and then another before Meta Knight could free himself and avoid being trapped into one corner. She slashed the air several times and tried battering Meta Knight with a series of strong energy rings before releasing them all at once. As Meta Knight evaded her next attack, he had to admit to himself that she was a worthy opponent and only wished that he could have had a duel against the real queen when she was alive.

Then, wanting the battle over with in order to complete his mission, he stabbed the false queen several times, sword plunging deeply with each stroke before Sectonia, like Dark Matter before her, screamed and writhed before exploding, again leaving a glimpse of her true self.

Best of three I imagine, Meta Knight noted to Galaxia. It is nearly always the case with these beings.

Let us hope so. But be careful, Meta Knight. I sense something far more dangerous than our last opponents.

"You are mighty indeed," Star Dream stated. "Now for the final test... This was prohibited by the previous admin... Preparing to boot the Space-Time Transport program... Let us bring back a legendary swordsman from a forgotten time. He may end destroying a nearby planet or two—"

Such a nonchalant way of saying that.

I've a feeling who this may be, Galaxia.

"—but such is life. The benefits of this final battle outweigh the collateral damage. Prepare yourself... Executing Space-Time Transport... Extra-dimensional road... Booting... 3... 2... 1... ...BEGIN!"

The entire room rumbled greatly as Star Dream executed the Space-Time Transport program forcing Meta Knight to steady his footing and grip Galaxia that little bit harder. His eyes narrowed while the dimensional hole, shaped like a star, transported a figure sealed away many years ago until it was brought out to fight once again, by someone who wanted to prove his own worthiness and become the strongest warrior in the galaxy.

An angelic winged creature, surrounded by a white light appeared before them. Meta Knight narrowed his eyes even more.

Galacta Knight.

Before he even landed, Galacta Knight charged up his weapon with a strange energy and ripped through Star Dream's steel exterior with a single swipe of his lance causing the computer to spark dangerously and fires to erupt all over the system before it slowly slid out of sight, into the black depths of the pit below.

"Ah, now that's new," Meta Knight could not help but saying aloud.

So the computer ended up as collateral damage, Galaxia said amused. But I'm sure the benefits of the battle will outweigh it.

"You," Galacta Knight hissed, his red eyes burning, glaring at his challenger. "You summoned me again. How dare you?"

"I did not summon you this time," Meta Knight replied but before he had the chance to explain himself further, Galacta Knight lunged forwards and stabbed his opponent.

"NGH!"

Fortunately for Meta Knight, the wound was not deep as he managed to ward off most of the blow. However, he was then brought crashing to the ground by several energy waves flying from Galacta Knight's lance flurries, causing spasms of pain to race through him. He rolled to one side just barely avoiding a blow that would surely have broken his mask and swung his sword at the legendary warrior. He caught the knight's mask and had to strike several times before he managed to get a hit in.

"I did not intend to fight you," Meta Knight began again when the warriors ended up at a distance from each other.

"I was summoned here to fight and fight I shall," Galacta Knight answered. "Especially against you, you who summoned me before."

"Perhaps then but not now. This new Nova was the one to summon you but since you already destroyed it, I see no reason to continue."

Galacta Knight gave a short laugh. "Are you trying to back out of this fight, knight of Dream Land? How dishonourable."

Meta Knight rankled; he valued his honour very highly indeed. "I am trying to come to a peaceful conclusion. I have been cleansing this land of the last of intergalactic invaders and I—"

"I destroyed the Nova because it summoned me against my wishes. I was slumbering. If it was anyone else and they wished to back down then perhaps I'd have considered an alternative. But against you… no. I will not back down."

Oh, well, you tried, Galaxia said as Galacta Knight resumed the furious assault with blood being spilled by both of them.

You don't seem terribly disappointed by the fact, Meta Knight frowned as soon as he was able to think without the risk of being sliced in half by his maddened opponent. Anyone would think you summoned him yourself. And besides, Galacta Knight is very dangerous. It was fine fighting him in space but what if he escapes from here and wreaks untold havoc?

Then you'll have to defeat him before that happens. And Meta Knight, would you really pass the opportunity to defeat the legendary warrior of times long past once again? Galaxia answered back.

Meta Knight had no time to respond as Galacta Knight kept up a series of brutal attacks against him. He felt Galaxia brimming with passion and pleasure for the battle as she fulfilled her purpose and he could not help but be influenced by her. His wings bristled with the joy and excitement of battle. He felt himself speeding up and unleashing his most powerful attacks against his opponent feeling no small amount of satisfaction at the sounds Galacta Knight made when his blade made contact no matter how suppressed said sounds were.

He remembered his last duel against the winged warrior what now seemed a very long time ago. Most, if not all, would have called his quest suicidal at best. Make a wish upon a clockwork star to fight the strongest warrior in the galaxy? What had he to prove exactly? Was being one of the strongest warriors on Popstar not enough? But no, he had to prove himself further and see if his skills were real and as good as others said they were. He wanted to be stronger for the sake of Popstar and protect it from the ills it suffered from. He had to be a worthy knight no matter what.

Besides, didn't he want a challenge?

Perhaps he had been foolhardy, perhaps it was insane, but the Nova granted his wish all the same and sent the present day Galacta Knight to be his opponent. The winged warrior sneered at the thought of this modern-day challenger daring to fight him where so many others had failed, unable to stand up to his incredible power, power that meant he had to be sealed away for fear that it was too great.

But Meta Knight had succeeded.

Emboldened, he struck powerfully against the white-winged opponent, sword clashing against lance, wearing Galacta Knight down a little bit each time, even managing to avoid his sudden tornado move. But then Galacta Knight rose in the air and Meta Knight noticed he had scant time to avoid the sudden summoning of lightning bolts from beneath his feet.

"TAKE THIS!"

Meta Knight was forced to pull a kind of pirouette in the air to avoid most of the attacks. Once or twice, a bolt zapped the edge of his wings and Meta Knight nearly drew blood biting down on what would have been a cry of pain. He blocked Galacta Knight's deadly multi-lance attack and counterattacked his next move. Moving quickly, he managed to land a strike against his opponent's unprotected back and could not help but smirk at the angry yell.

"Hmph. You are doing well but you still do not have the raw power to match me."

"A match is decided by more than raw power alone," Meta Knight answered.

"We'll see about that."

Meta Knight's eyes widened as Galacta Knight ripped a hole in the very fabric of dimensions catching the warrior in its incredibly powerful blast. Meta Knight gritted against the violent discharge, telling himself that he only needed to hold on for a little while longer. Once the attack was finished, he used Galaxia's energy to heal himself a little. Galacta Knight was too enraged to notice this and Meta Knight briefly wondered if healing yourself in the middle of battle was somehow dishonourable.

It is sensible, Galaxia affirmed. No wonder many warriors have had themselves killed if they thought healing was not fair. A trans-dimensional laser is hardly fair either. Besides Meta Knight, you have not rested. He is fighting you fresh.

Meta Knight charged forwards, yelling a furious battle cry, landing one, two, three incredible blows. Both sought to seek an opening and sneak past each other's defences. Neither were letting up and though Galacta Knight was unleashing his full array of moves onto the warrior from laser beams to swords falling from the sky, Meta Knight was still fighting on and landing his own blows in return even though by now he was feeling rather fatigued.

Galacta Knight tore another hole in dimensions as if it was nothing but this time, Meta Knight was ready for it. He dodged to one side and caught his breath before Galacta Knight came swooping down ready to spear him and be finished with it. Yet Meta Knight was ready for him.

"Know my power!"

Darkness fell over them and numerous stars sparkled within that darkness. Time seemed to slow down for Meta Knight as he prepared his move. Galaxia shimmered and rushing forwards faster than his mind realised, Meta Knight slashed at Galacta Knight with a single, concentrated, intense strike, cutting into his wings, cutting into his mask.

Galacta Knight's body was suddenly enveloped in a white light. He was violently flung about the room occasionally slamming into the walls. Meta Knight kept his sword steady, eyes forever following the winged warrior's path. And then, the crystal prison created by a truly powerful magician from so long ago enveloped Galacta Knight and began to lift him through the star-shaped hole that would take him back to his dimension once again.

I… will… return…

Before Meta Knight's eyes, the crystal prison winked out of existence. Only then did Meta Knight slump and gasp heavily for breath.

I knew you could do it, Meta Knight. The strongest warrior of the galaxy.

I would say… it was Kirby, doing what… he does.

Very well, Galaxia said with considerable exasperation. You're both the strongest warriors of the galaxy. Are you happy now?

Unseen behind his mask, pressed against the ground as he panted for breath, Meta Knight nevertheless allowed himself a proud smile knowing that he could be worthy of such a title. Fighting Galacta Knight at full strength and winning was one thing, fighting Galacta Knight whilst he had already fought a series of hard battles before and still winning was quite another thing altogether. He remained in his position on the floor for a long time before he managed to ease himself up again. Slowly moving forwards, wounded, but not too severely, he peered over the edge of the battlefield and saw the remains of Star Dream.

I only wish I could have brought the machine down myself. Still, I must be grateful that it has been brought down at all.

Indeed.

One more thing and then we're done.

Painfully, Meta Knight flapped his wings and reached a safe vantage point to where he could reach Star Dream. It still crackled where Galacta Knight had struck it. Removing the outer wall of metal, Meta Knight found what he was looking for: a mechanical heart.

Strange that such a creation could have a heart to begin with.

We all have hearts but not all are created with good ones.

Meta Knight contemplated the creation before him. Then, taking a deep breath, he plunged Galaxia straight into the still-pulsing heart. It shattered like glass though Meta Knight thought he heard a faint scream a long distance away. The pieces dissolved out of sight into the ether and the single light that served as the machine's eye faded away.

We are done here. Let us return home.

Meta Knight had been away for just over a week and looking at Dedede's main castle, he could see it had already descended into organised chaos with Waddle Dees and Bronto Burts tripping over each other, carrying all sorts of tools, brickwork, carpets, new lighting and more, and an increasingly harassed-looking Waddle Doo yelling at them all, trying to be heard above the tumult. He shook his head and soon directed his Halberd towards the castle he knew Dedede and Kirby were currently staying at. Once he landed, everyone made their gracious farewells to Meta Knight and disembarked, many heading to town for a well-earned drink. Bandana Dee followed Meta Knight into the castle and saw the warrior looking thoughtful.

"Um, Sir Meta Knight?" the Waddle Dee began. He never quite knew how to address the knight though he was always friendly enough towards him. "Will we need to go on another mission like this some time? I, um, I know that's a stupid question, but I thought I better ask it anyway."

"It's better to ask and be certain than not ask and risk losing out on important information. And no, it is not a stupid question. As it is, I do not believe we need to go on another mission any time soon. Dream Land and the whole of Popstar is safe again."

"Oh, good. I mean, good that we're safe, not good that we don't have to do another mission. Um…"

"I know what you meant. A questioning nature is not always a bad thing; it means that you can think for yourself. I believe you would make a good captain one day."

"Oh!" Bandana Dee blushed. "Th-thank you, sir!"

"Now, judging by the sounds coming from the hall, I believe King Dedede is this way." And sure enough, the pair found the penguin king doing what he did best and that was order others about.

"Those parts are goin' to Popopo Islands! Those parts are goin' to Patch Land! Where's my coffee?! Have we got them people doctored yet? I mean a doctor! You know what I mean! Who's got my list? Where's my coffee?!"

"Great King, we're back!" Bandana Dee announced.

"Great, I need assistance!" Dedede declared, nearly bowling the Waddle Dee over. "Guess it were a success, huh?"

"Indeed, sire," said Meta Knight, "though I shall have to furnish you with the details later. I need to see Kirby."

"Too busy to take them now anyway, Meta Knight! I'm up to my neck in busyness! Ain't I a busy king, Waddle Dees?"

"Yes, Great King!" they answered.

"I'll leave you to it, sire," Meta Knight said as he left the raucous environment and the king demanding his coffee. He ascended the stairs and found the room where Kirby was currently staying.

He looks so peaceful, Meta Knight thought, approaching the young child.

Kirby was currently sprawled out in his bed, blanket half hanging off, still snoozing gently away. Meta Knight hoped that Kirby had actually woken up and eaten in the time he had been away; he would have to ask Dedede about it later. He sat down next to Kirby for a while and just watched him breathing in and out, feeling his mind soothed by the calm environment and his tension ease to nothingness.

You care for him more than you can say.

How can I not? I have watched out for him for so long. If anything did happen to him, I… I don't know what I'd do.

He has a destiny. You will still be able to watch over him then, Meta Knight.

Always.

Meta Knight stood up and pulled the blanket fully over Kirby. He made to exit the room silently but as he placed his hand on the doorknob, a young voice murmured sleepily, "Meta Knight?"

"Ah." He wondered what Kirby would do considering the ferocious duels they had recently and what he had nearly done to the child. "I'm sorry, Kirby. Did I wake you?"

Kirby shook his head and sat up a little. "I just had a strange dream."

"Hm? What about?" It seemed that Kirby wanted him to stay. Meta Knight crossed the room and sat by Kirby again.

"Can't really remember it. It was kinda like… I don't know… something got pulled into our world, you know, like the Lor Starcutter? And there was this weird feeling like a bad storm and I had a sword or something. Someone tore the air a couple of times and there was this red light. But the storm went away and there was light and everything felt really good. I don't know… I can't really remember. I guess it wasn't important."

"Perhaps not. And here's me thinking you'd be dreaming about food."

Kirby gave a tired smile. "I already dreamt that."

"Are you hungry? I'll have some food brought up to you, alright?"

"Meta?" Kirby said before the warrior turned to go. "Can… can we watch the stars later? Together?"

Meta Knight saw Kirby's deep blue eyes gazing at him and said: "Of course. I personally would like that very much."

"Yeah, me too. Thanks, Meta…"

Kirby began drifting and Meta Knight took this as his cue to get some food before the boy fell deep asleep again. He thought to what Kirby had said and wondered if Galaxia was not his only guide in life.

Smiling, Meta Knight descended the stairs and felt for one perfect moment a feeling of serene lightness nestled deep within his heart.

While in The True Arena you fight Star Dream Soul OS, I had Meta Knight finish the machine here because for all intents and purposes in the main story, Kirby defeated Star Dream for good but this way as I was still able to include Meta Knightmare Returns.

Ah, these two puffballs. I love them. :)