It was a blur, his entire life. He would think about it often.

There was always something about needing more strength for one thing or another, and several things ending because of him, but that was it. The rest of his memories included nothing but that accursed crystal, and being stuck.

Feeling...trapped.

But he was free now, though he would still get that urge to destroy.

And that couldn't be true strength, he would muse, That was only raw power. Was it really what I wanted?

Of course! I'm the strongest. Or, at least I was supposed to be.

...I used to be the strongest.

Who took that the title away?

That bat...the one with the Golden Sword. He had...fought differently than Galacta Knight did.

Was that the kind of power I wanted, then? Controlled, efficient, skilled?

No, that was boring. What I have is just perfect, isn't it?

Then why did I lose against that bat?

It was sheer luck.

Was it really?

Yes.

No...

Yes. He wasn't the one stuck in Crystal for who knows how long...he had the advantage of coming freshly trained and prepared for battle.

Perhaps...but there's something overlooked.

...What?

We're clearly the strongest, but are what about the most skilled?

Skilled...?

Was there a difference between such...abstract concepts?

Skills...strength...power...smarts...speed...

Galacta frowned. What did it matter? He was able to break out of the Crystal with strength. Even if it wasn't skill that let the bat beat him, he was free. He could do what he wanted...

And he wanted to sleep right now. He was so tired...

The pink knight closed his eyes and laid back against the hard wall, forcing himself to ignore the nagging instinct to test his powers and relax. He wanted to stop fighting, as surprising as that might sound.

He had grown obsessed, probably more so than he ever had been, even managing to break out of his seal at one point, when it felt weaker for whatever reason. He had immediately set out to train more, accomplishing this by destroying everything in his path to prove..something.

He went along with that blind mindset for a while before realizing that it was the exact same one that caused him to get sealed in the first place. He decided it would be best to stay under the radar.

Galacta Knight roamed the galaxy then, planet-hopping to keep away from Nova's gaze. He still trained vigorously when he was able, and when he did, entered the mindless brutality that came with it. He learned several new skills when doing so and gleefully kept them well-used. His only fear was being caught up by Nova, though he never was.

Thus, this endless cycle continued, and Galacta was all too happy to continue it. Anything was better than being imprisoned, and this life was not at all bad.

But it wouldn't keep up for much longer.

Extra-dimensional road... Booting...

Huh? What was that...?

3...

Trying to sleep...

2...

That voice wouldn't stop. What was it? Nova? He stood defensively, lance and shield raised.

1...

A large star-shaped portal opened in front of him, and a golden eye-like thing looked at him. The voice was too different and Nova had no yellow eye. "What are you?" Galacta Knight demanded, not a bit sleepy anymore, but it didn't even acknowledge him.

...Begin!

The portal began to surround him. The Warrior was able to resist the pull for a few seconds, but it was too strong. Galacta Knight wrapped his wings around himself in defense as it transported him to an unknown place...

It was only a few seconds later that he was able to move again. He spread his wings suddenly and widely in order to scare off any potential attackers.

A quick once over of the room told him three things. One- he's never been to this high tech place before. Two- the knight who had beaten him before was there, and he looked ready to battle, if somewhat surprised. And three- Because of that fact, the urge to prove his strength came back with full force once more.

He hated this...

Turning so he can at least try to not give in to the blood-lust, the feathered knight caught sight of the golden eye that brought him here. Anger overtook him. He had wanted to avoid this in the first place!

Your fault.

He swung his lance and spliced the machine easily, breaking it hopefully for good. Maybe it was a mistake, as the surge of adrenaline at that overflowed his will to refuse a guaranteed great battle with the bat.

Galacta swooped down close to the knight in warning, who stepped back cautiously. He then soared around the large room and landed a few feet away from the opponent, eyeing him viciously.

Yellow eyes, golden sword, no doubt about it. The same one who beat him through pure luck. The pink Warrior's eyes flashed with anger.

Battle on.

Then, unspoken, the two combatants charged at each other for their second battle.

It was a marvelous thing.

Their respective weapons clashed against the other, but before even allowing the gauge of strengths, Galacta dipped back in the air and swung hard.

The blue haired opponent stepped forward to meet the strike. He wouldn't have been able to dodge or block it with that lost footing. Before he could get too comfortable with that stance, Galacta flew back once more, further this time.

A beam of energy was thrown at him, and Meta knight rose Galaxia to deflect it. However, the long ranged attack was merely a distraction, he realized, as the warrior spun once some distance away, weapon raised. As he brought it down in front of him, a white lash of energy dug along the metal floor toward the knight.

With a beat of his wings, Meta Knight jumped up and out of the way, watching it ruin the floor past him. His eyes snapped to the fast approaching warrior, and he swiveled to meet his strike in the air.

Galacta Knight glared in the brief moment their eyes met, and swung his lance heavily off the sword. With a tight flip in the air, he doubled back to the far side of the room, and landed lightly to slam his lance to the ground with both hands.

The leather winged soldier kept a close eye as he flew toward his opponent. He stopped as soon as he saw the tell-tale signs of wind energy being formed at the warrior's hands.

With a grin under his mask, Galacta let the tornado whip through the air toward the blue knight. He hovered off the ground and kept a close eye to where the bat would try to escape to, itching to dash to continue the fight.

There- -to the right of the whirlwind!- -he appeared in a flash of blue and purple! Galacta sailed to the opponent, charging up energy in his lance.

The bat noticed him coming and as Galacta neared, stopped flapping his wings for a split second. He lowered just enough to loop upwards in a strike, managing a gash in the other's armor as he rose up, but getting knocked back with a powerful blast on the returning flip.

Galacta landed and looked down at his cut shirt. Placing a hand on it, he quickly evaluated it. No blood yet. Still safe.

But he had wanted to land the first strike.

His eyes darted back up to his opponent, who had stood as soon as the daze had left him and held his sword in front of him.

All luck. I'm the strongest.

I'll be the first to draw blood in this battle. It's only begun.

This would be a long, satisfying fight.

The battle continued, and somewhere along the line, Galacta had managed his goal in being the first to draw blood. It had gotten him even more pumped for the exuberant match, but it wasn't quite enough to maintain the winning edge.

Meta Knight had gotten a one-up on him with a flash of his sword. He had dashed at surprising speed to avoid a few solidified beams and struck once more.

With an enraged shout, Galacta Knight shoved his opponent back with his full weight behind his lance. Meta Knight backed up in response, flapping back a good several feet to observe what the warrior was going to do.

The warrior glared at his damaged person. Several cuts stung along his body and his armor was dented or ripped in some places. He clutched his fist in anger.

I'm supposed to be the strongest! I've trained for so long, and I've even been imprisoned for it!

Galacta's fierce glare darkened at his opponent.

Why can't I beat him?!

His rage got ahold of him once more, and the warrior slipped into the mindset of doing anything to regain his title as the strongest.

Raising his lance up high, power coursed through him and fiery red spots slowly glowed upon the floor. Meta Knight glanced down in time and barely managed to avoid the scarlet pillars of electricity, stumbling forward.

Then came two more waves, than a fourth.

The blue haired knight winced as he was hit by one of the rapid-fire attacks. He fell forward, his leg feeling numb from the contact.

Seeing the fall, Galacta grinned, and flew up higher. Filling his lance with energy, he dragged his lance through the air to open a pink interdimensional beam.

Meta Knight's eyes widened as the rip grew brighter.

Heal me, he thought urgently. Galaxia complied, and a refreshing wave coursed along his body. It was usually a gradual heal, but his sentient sword had started the process from his leg, so he was able to stand right away to run.

Nevertheless, the blast threw him forward due to his proximity. He hoisted himself and turned to a sitting position as he stared at the powerful output the dimensional rift gave.

Amazing power. Not even I can accomplish that.

(Now is no time to marvel, My Wielder.) Galaxia spoke to him as any wounds he had closed and disappeared, (We must defeat him.)

Meta Knight stood as the grand beam lessened into a thin stream before giving way and disappearing back into the shrinking rift, until that too was nothing more than a thin line of pink.

Right. I came here to find answers, not gawk.

Meta Knight took up a ready battle stance and looked cautiously around for the former title-holder of strongest warrior.

Where did he get off to...?

He got his answer in countless solid sword beams heading toward him. The caped warrior dashed through the incoming barrage, nimbly evading only most of them. Several more slashed his arms and pierced past his sides.

As the sweep of shaped beams died down, Meta Knight heard his opponent land behind him, and turned deftly to him.

They stared the other down. It was a tense moment. The rematch neither has asked for, but there were no complaints it had happened anyway.

Galacta stepped foward and swung his lance around, sending out a wide, purple sword beam at him. Meta Knight flapped high over it and landed with a downstab to cut off the fast approaching warrior. The white-winged combantant pulled back before lashing forward, attempting to force his opponent away from his sword.

Meta Knight side stepped the stab but refused to let go of Galaxia as he did, managing to reclaim her from the ground.

The pink haired warrior slashed at him several times, making the knight rush to meet and block the flurry. On the last strike, he charged up his lance in an instant to send out another powerful blast.

Meta Knight held up his free arm along with Galaxia to shield himself from it. He quickly patted his arm to cool it, feeling the heat of it.

He looked back up to notice Galacta Knight in the air once more. The warrior raised his lance and a white-hot shine brightened from the tip. Meta Knight braced himself, recognizing this attack.

Spreading his wings to hover quickly along the ground, the blue haired fighter started his escape from the relentless chase.

Galacta Knight's smile grew under his mask as the white beam followed his opponent, tearing up the metal floor loudly. He'd win, he could sense it. And it would be soon.

The knight continued to flee from the ongoing laser, smelling burning metal as he did so.

I have to beat him fast.

Meta Knight jumped to the air and turned as his wings beats propelled him backwards. He let out a charged sword beam to detract Galacta from the deadly white beam. It worked, and Galacta brought up his shield to block, disrupting his concentration on attacking.

With a growl, Galacta spread his wings wide to fly at an extreme speed towards Meta Knight. Wind rushed past him as he pointed his lance out in front of him. The bat flew to the side at the last second, forcing Galacta to make a wide turn in order to target him again.

The knight had landed, though he stood in a battle ready stance. His cape replaced his wings now. Galacta tightened his grip on his lance and charged it up in a slow heat, letting his energy pool. He then flew with incredible speed to his opponent closing their gap rapidly.

Meta Knight jolted slightly and quickly grasped the edge of his cape. In the same instant of swiping the dark cloth around, he shot energy down his arm and along the cape.

Darkness caught Galacta by surprise as he was suddenly trapped in a space-like area. Distant stars and Meta Knight's yellow eyes were the only visible things in the temporary subspace.

The swirl of inky dark blue and stars were interrupted by the bright streaks of Meta Knight moving swiftly toward him, sword withdrawn.

Galacta cried out in pain as the sword cut deep into his side, wounding him gravely.

And just like that, the stellar background dissipated and they were back in the twisted, smoking hi-tech room. The pink warrior collapsed to his knees, clutching tightly at his bleeding injury.

Meta Knight landed a good distance away, back turned, as he began at catching his breath at the adrenaline rush.

That had to have won the battle, he thought as his heart slowed. As soon as he was presentable, he turned, and was quickly proven wrong.

He slipped back into a battle stance absently as his eyes flashed white in surprise. Galacta had stood up already and clutched his lance with both hands, preparing a wind attack. His shirt was stained red and blood continued to seep through.

His ferocious red eyes glared at him intently as the lance was near done charging.

Meta Knight hesitated in concern. Is this going to leading up to abattle to the death? This place is going to be destroyed before I find out what the Haltmann company was up to!

Nonetheless, the knight shook his head from these thoughts. I'll just have to down him before that happens. For Popstar!

The lance finished charging, and the large tornado was released, heading toward Meta Knight. He hopped away from it, but it seemed like Galacta was able to control it as long as he held on to the lance like that. It swerved to the blue knight's path, chasing him down.

There you are.

Galacta blinked, gaze flitting upward. "What?"

You have escaped from your seal.

You have been avoiding your sentence.

Was that...Nova?

The warrior recoiled, looking around.

Meta Knight blinked, thoroughly puzzled as the harsh winds faltered in its trail and died out. He looked over at Galacta, who looked wary.

From what I observe, you have also not changed for the better.

The wish has not been completed.

"Wish?" Galacta echoed, "What wish?" Had I been sealed away with a stipulation? Why hadn't I known about this?! "Why didn't you tell me this before?!"

Looking around with concern, Meta Knight wondered if it was the blood loss getting to the warrior's head. Or rather, the floor.

I shall lock you away in a powerful enough seal until you can better yourself.

Galacta felt sick. Better myself? What does that mean? I don't want to return to that fucking...

Feeling disoriented, he fell to one knee.

That prison. Staring out into nothing as he was forced to live through...who knows how long? Too much time had passed.

Then, his prison's lock had been temporarily picked, just to lose his title. If that wasn't enough, he was forced to return to his punishment. He couldn't go through that again, no.

He was able to think and remember everything-no, he wouldn't be able to face that after relishing his freedom-he didn't want to return here, damn it! He had been keeping away for so long! To be caught over someone else's doing! That damned computer! That bastard who wished him away in the first place! The accursed knight who wished him out, just to fight!

Although, do I truly regret that? A passion-filled battle!

"Can you stand?" A tentative touch was placed on his shoulder. He hadn't heard the bat step over cautiously. His voice was deep. He hadn't heard it aside from the occasional grunts and straining in battle. It sounded...nice.

He hated it.

"Don't touch me!" Galacta snapped in response, still too disturbed, from the memories, the battle, Nova.

The contact was removed.

I shall reseal you in the Crystal in

3...

"I want to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind." The knight didn't know when to shut up. "Do you know anything of the computer you just destroyed?"

Galacta looked up at him, a strange mix of anguished and infuriated. "Don't you hear that?!"

Meta Knight stared in a blank confusion before shaking his head in the briefest no.

Useless.

2...

Wait. Maybe...?

A plan quickly formed in Galacta's head, and he looked up suddenly to his former opponent. He was just shorter than him. Would it work? Could he trick Nova, if only for enough time to escape? He would just need to find a way out and get far away enough off planet...

1...

His wounds began to heal, just like when he was brought back from the brink of death. There was a shimmer, and small pieces of crystal began to materialize. Galacta stood shakingly.

Inevitable.

Meta Knight looked surprised that he had even been able to stand, and he glanced down to the ruined shirt and armor, stepping back as they seemed to magically fix themselves.

"What-?" He began before Galacta grabbed onto his sword hand roughly and pulled him extremely close, catching him off guard.

...GO!

Galacta stepped to swing the blue haired knight around in front of him as the pieces of Crystal began to surround him. It latched on Meta Knight instead, who quickly pieced together what had happened. However, Galacta had let him go already.

"You coward!" He hissed, swinging his sword in a futile attempt to reach Galacta. Said warrior jumped back into the air to avoid the attack. Meta Knight straightened up and glared, eyes flashing red for a second. "Face your-!"

In a final burst of energy, the Crystal finished enveloping him and ceased all movement and sound.

Galacta stared as the familiar star-shaped portal appeared in a flash and the seal slowly rose it. As soon as the Crystal was encompassed by it, it vanished in a bout of light into oblivion, leaving only a few remnants of light.

Silence accompanied free warrior for several seconds as realization kicked in.

His on-the-spot plan actually worked! He had tricked Nova!

Though he knew he couldn't celebrate his victory for too long. He stepped forward and gratefully noted that every wound had been healed and his clothes and armor had been mended.

Grabbing his lance and readjusting his shield, Galacta pointed at the window of the construct the battle had taken place in. With a dense shot, he shattered a good portion of it and flew out, leaving the aftermath of the battle behind him.

Time to ditch this miserable place.

Trapped. Helpless. Aware.

What was he staring at? Were his eyes even open?

Meta Knight struggled, but he couldn't move a muscle. It was pitch black.

His eyes darted back and forth, but there was no indication that he did so; everywhere he saw it looked the same. He tried taking a breath, but found himself unable to.

The knight started to panic.

I'm going to die! I can't breathe!

His thoughts raced as he attempted struggling again, but to no avail. The Crystal did its job in holding him firmly in place.

Like the Mecha Suit, came the cold, perplexing thought. He couldn't even fight against this however. He could at least feel something in there. He could move, he could fight against it. He could-

(My wielder.) His sword called to him.

Galaxia! Galaxia, can't you break this prison? Break me out of here.

(I cannot. This is a cell produced by Nova. I may be of use outside it, but not trapped inside.)

Nothing to be done then. Nothing. I can do nothing in here. I can think. But what use is that. What can I accomplish? What can I-?

Galacta Knight flew high above the clouds. The structure had practically reached space, but it had been a while since he's last flown freely. Thus, with his victorious high, he planned to fly leisurely before taking his leave of the planet.

The light breeze felt refreshing compared to the monitored temperature inside the building. The bright colors of this planet also contradicted the darker, shinier, painted metal the interior of the place had to offer.

In fact, the entire thing seemed so out of place from the rest of the planet.

Dismissing it, as it was nothing he should be concerned about, Galacta decided to focus on enjoying the sunlight on his wings. It had been far too long since...

Flying a bit lower, his eyes scanned the inhabitants of the world. Strange mouthless creatures and walking mushrooms bustled about.

Weak, weak, weak. He could definitely beat all of these runts, without breaking a sweat. His grip tightened on his lance, and his eye twitched.

Pathetic! I could simply destroy this planet and nobody would miss it!

He's destroyed a handful of planets before. He could do it again...

Galacta narrowed his eyes and his wings flapped faster as he went further into the sky.

Is it because I'm not satisfied with my current loss record?

No. I just want to see this planet destroyed. That's all.

The sky faded from a light blue to dark. He was almost off this planet. The planet of the one who stole his title.

The one you forced to take your place.

Galacta stopped and turned to the yellow planet far below. He glared venomously at the two-ringed star-shaped world. The home of the one who defeated him once, and couldn't manage it again.

He raised his lance, the pink metal's tip slowly glowing a hot-white as it charged. It spread down the rest of the blade and burned brightly.

Yes. Destroy. For old times' sake.

Gladly.

Right as he was about to bring the powerful laser down, a star portal enveloped around him and dragged him in.

The population down below walked about peacefully, oblivious to the terrifying fate that might have occurred.

Galacta Knight blinked and he was in front of Nova. His first thought was to let the beam go and attempt to escape again. Nova seemed to expect this and trapped his lance arm in crystal.

The warrior squirmed vigorously until realizing that Nova didn't seal him away immediately.

He finally stops to evaluate the situation and looks around, catching sight of the bat, staring straight at him with sword at hand.

Something's going on.

"...Aren't you going to seal me like the dangerous brute I am?" he snarled.

I should.

After what you were about to do.

It is clear you are no different than before.

He shrugged. "I was about to destroy that planet."

The bat's wings twitched. "Which planet?" he asked suspiciously.

"Which do you think?" Galacta Knight replied spitefully.

Enough.

Listen.

You have one chance to avoid being sealed again.

Freedom.

You shall be free.

I am only doing this so the wish could be complete.

Curiosity returned. "What wish?" He was ignored again.

This opportunity will not come easy.

"What is it?" Galacta asked eagerly. "Anything to be free of that life ruining crystal!"

Meta Knight has offered to aid you.

He desires to locate and discover the origins of Star Dream.

If you aid him to the best of your ability without damaging any celestial bodies or ending a life,

you shall not have to return to your sealed imprisonment.

"Sounds fair." Galacta agreed after a few seconds of thinking about this. There was a pause. "But who's Meta Knight."

The bat sighed. "Charmed."