Shades of Grey - Chapter 10

"Finally… you have come…"

Meta-Knight stood in the darkness before Kirby and Tiff. The old veteran's eyes glowed brightly with determination, his sword illuminating in accordance. Thousands of years of war have come down to this moment.

This is the moment that decided everything.

This is the moment that could end the war!

The mere thought sent chills through the old knight. Yet he could not dispel the dreadful thoughts that coursed through his mind.

What if we failed?

The war would continue. The monsters would rule. There would be more lost souls, like Meta-Knight, seeking redemption for their mere existence in the bloodbath of war. The old knight shook his head in resolution. He could not let that happen. Even if this wretched place were to be his tomb - it would be Nightmare's tomb as well!

The enormous hellion's presence was made known by the shifting of its massive wings. Tiff stifled a whimper and stepped closer to Meta-Knight. Kirby's eyes narrowed. Despite his youth the little creature knew…

Knew that this could be the end.

"So long…this war has been…" The deep, raspy voice was so soft, like the whisper of the wind. "…Why do you continue to fight…last of the star warriors…?" Crimson eyes landed on the young Kirby, who stood strong. "Why do you so eagerly throw your life away…?"

"If we just stood back and let you take over, there would no longer be a life worth living!" Tiff yelled, stepping forward.

The persimmon eyes moved to the girl, as if just noticing her. Tiff's breath caught in her throat as she looked into the demon's eyes. Within the crimson void was nothing but a calm hatred. "Would life be so bad? At least you would know your Fate. You would no longer be victim to false Hope."

"Hope is what keeps us going," Meta-Knight said sternly. "Without hope there is nothing."

"With hope comes disappointment and despair. You should know better than anyone, Meta-Knight."

"Enough talk…" the old knight spoke softly, his words barely audible. His eyes brightened, a slight reddish tinge to them. "Now everything comes to an end!" With that said, Meta-Knight charged forward, Kirby followed in suit. Tiff stepped back, her eyes widen with apprehension.

Nightmare only laughed as both star warriors lunged right through him, as if he were nothing more than a ghost. Meta-Knight landed heavily a few feet away. Kirby stumbled forward, barely able to catch himself. The sadistic glee evident in that horrible sound sent a tremor down Tiff's spine. "You think you can defeat me?! I thought you knew better, Meta-Knight! If it was that simple the war would already be over! I have transcended the boundaries of mere mortals, and cannot be destroyed by a mere sword!"

"Maybe not! But I have what can defeat you!" A young voice suddenly erupted behind the two star warriors caused them to turn around. Standing only a dozen feet away was Joe, behind him were Lololo and Sword. In the young fighter's hands he held the star rod!

Meta-Knight's eyes brightened in surprise, "The star rod?! But I thought it had been destroyed!"

Kirby smiled brightly at Joe's appearance.

Nightmare's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the star rod. "You traitorous wretch! How did you get it?!"

Joe smiled mischievously, "The legacy was true, Meta-Knight. Nightmare couldn't destroy the star rod, so he hid it." His grin widened. "It's over, Nightmare!"

Suddenly, the hellion's lips pulled back into a smile, revealing sharp, yellowed teeth. Nightmare arched his head back and let out a laugh that both surprised and frightened the righteous group.

"You think that the star rod alone can defeat me? None of you are capable of harvesting its true power!" the hellion hissed. "Even if you do possess the star rod it will not save you!" Before anyone had the chance to react, the monster unleashed a wave of energy at Joe. The young fighter raised his arms and stood strong even when the powerful waves threatened to send him hurling towards oblivion.

"Joe!" Sword cried as he rushed forward. Nightmare's eyes flashed as an inferno gathered under the young knight's feet and erupted around him.

"Sword!!" Meta-Knight cried. Kirby stepped back, whimpering. The raging firestorm launched Sword into the air and sent him crashing into the wall. Joe's strength began to wane as the energy waves overpowered him. The young fighter flew back and too hit the cold, damp wall interior of the cave, dropping the star rod in the process. Using the wall as a temporary support, Joe pulled himself onto his feet. Sword, however, remained motionless where he laid.

Lololo floated back a few feet, terror freezing him in place.

"Sword!" Tiff ran to their side. "Lolo, come on, I need your help here!" Tiff ordered, her voice breaking the paralysis that gripped the little creature. Tiff pulled out what little bandages she managed to keep with her. She then turned and handed some to him. Afterwards the two tenderly began bandaging his multiple wounds.

Meta-Knight made a lunge for the star rod, but a wave of energy forced him to swerve out of the way. Joe charged forward and began unleashing a barrage of vulcan jabs. Nightmare's eyes flashed as he blocked the attack with an energy shield and shot a stream of fire between Meta-Knight and the star rod. The searing heat forced the old soldier to jump back, using his wings to propel him backwards. Nightmare then whirled around and sent a bolt of electricity at the young fighter, who strafed aside and sent another line of vulcan jabs.

As Tiff and Lololo continued bandaging Sword's wounds, the girl watched the battle unfold out of the corner of her eye. She could only hope that Joe and Meta-Knight's combined strength would outlast Nightmare's…

Lalala silently floating behind Bugsy as he walked through the hallways. Whenever he passed a room, his small follower would quickly peer inside to see if there was anything suspicious. She wasn't really sure what to look for, as she had never been given a description of the device. Suddenly, upon glancing into another room, Lalala noticed a huge cubic device on a large table. The little puffball flew into the room and looked it over.

This had to be it!

This had to be the device!

Excitement coursed through her, suddenly replaced by confusion. How was she going to destroy it? She wasn't overly strong to begin with. If she pulled out a few wires, it would stop it. On the other hand damage like that could easily be repaired. Lalala wanted to make sure that she destroyed it for good!

A loud roar startled the little creature from her thoughts. She turned to see Bugsy standing before her, holding two large swords in its massive grip.

With a shriek, Lalala flew behind the device. Bugsy leapt over it, and stabbed his sword at her. Terror threatened to paralyze her, as she barely strafed aside in time. She flew for the door, but the larger monster beat her to it. A cry escaped her as Lalala hid under the table that the device sat upon.

How she wished Lololo was there! He was no stronger, no faster, no smarter than she was. Nonetheless she felt safe with him. They had always faced everything together, but now she felt so very alone. Alone with a big, nasty monster.

A loud crash resounded and the table fell on top of her. With a whimper of pain she felt crushed under the large structure. Looking up with fading eyes upon her advancing adversary, tears blurred Lalala's vision. She thought about her brother, how much she missed him, how much she hoped that he would make it through the war. She hoped…

Hoped that he wouldn't be angry with her for failing.

The beetle's glowing eyes flickered as his strength suddenly began to wane. Suddenly dropping his weapons with a large bang, the creature faded away into nonexistence.

For a moment, Lalala couldn't understand what had just transpired. She tried to shift position and painfully managed to look above her. Bugsy had used the device and table to crush her, and in the process the device had been damaged and temporarily rendered offline.

Lalala felt a small flicker of excitement. The device was offline! She had succeeded! Now everything was going to be alright…wasn't it?

The little creature could no longer move at all under the crushing debris. Each breath became more and more of a struggle. Chills coursed through her as she fought unconsciousness.

She didn't want to die!

She wanted to see a world without war!

She wanted to grow up!

She wanted to see Lololo again!

She wanted to live!

Lalala closed her eyes tightly. It wasn't fair!! How she wished her twin was there. Somehow, someway she felt that if he was there he would make everything alright. That by some mysterious miracle he would be able to save her. They had always been together, done everything together. No matter what the problem was the duo always found a way around it. Despite the war, and the inevitability of death, in the back of her mind Lalala always presumed Lololo and herself to be invincible. She felt that nothing could touch them as long as they were together.

But they weren't together now, and everything began to fade to black… "Lolo…."

Lololo's eyes widened as the bandages fell from numbed fingers. The gauze slowly and soundlessly fell onto the damp, tainted soil. Mere seconds had passed and yet Lololo relived an eternity.

An eternity of fun, and freedom

An eternity of love, and laughter.

An eternity of companionship…

…and in his mind's eye he could see the end of eternity as the sixth sense that always linked him to his twin was extinguished.

This is it, Tuff thought as Wolfwrath and the other monsters surrounded him and Blade. We're dead.

His mind screamed for him to run away, but his body wouldn't comply. He could only lay where he had previously landed as paralysis held him in its massive grip. Blade had scrambled onto his feet and held his sword aloft, but he knew it was hopeless. There was no way he and the boy could hope to defeat so many monsters. Suddenly, the monsters began to roar as their bodies started…evaporating? Within a few seconds, Tuff and Blade were alone.

"What…what happened?" Tuff slowly pushed himself into a sitting position.

"She…she did it!" Blade exclaimed, sheathing his sword. "Lalala must have destroyed the device!" Tuff grinned broadly as he jumped onto his feet.

"She did it!" the boy cheered. "Now we can get out of here!"

Blade nodded, "Lets go find her and get out of here!"

"Lolo, what is it?!" Tiff cried as the azure creature suddenly froze in catatonia, the bandages dropping from his hands. Looking into the deadened eyes of her friend, realization struck her like a physical blow, "Oh no…NO!" The lack of response confirmed her assertion.

Upon hearing the girl's cries, Kirby turned to look at her.

"What….what's wrong, Tiff?" Sword questioned, as consciousness had finally returned to him.

"It's Lalala…" Tiff whispered. She closed her eyes tightly to push back tears that threatened to come. "She…she's…"

"Lalala…?" Kirby murmured, his eyes widening. "No…no no no no…!"

A large crash broke Kirby from his mantra. The young star warrior turned to see Joe sprawled out on the ground a few feet away. Tiff shook her head vigorously.

As much as she wanted to sink into the ground and disappear

As much as she wanted to fade away

Away from the pain

Away from war and the inevitable death that comes along with it

It wouldn't bring Lalala back.

If she gave in to despair and allowed Nightmare to win…

…Lalala's death would have been in vain.

With that in consideration, Tiff willed herself to focus. She could only hope that Lololo could find it somewhere within himself to do the same.

Before Nightmare could unleash another attack, Meta-Knight rushed to the star rod. Snatching it he held the rod before him, calling upon its power…but to his horror nothing would come. He concentrated all of his energy into the star rod…yet still he received no response. The hellion's lips drew back into a sinister grin.

"Has your own righteousness blinded you so much that you've forgotten your own essence?!" Nightmare hissed. "Or did you simply forget the specifics of the legend? Only a star warrior can wield that star rod, and you are no star warrior!" His smile only widened as Meta-Knight's eyes flickered with anger. The others could only stared at him with confusion. "What? You mean you never told them…?" The deep, grating voice dripped with sarcasm, "You never told them that you were never a star warrior? That you were nothing more than a monster designed to emulate star warriors! No matter how much you imitate, you will never truly be one!"

Kirby's eyes widened as he glanced over to his elder.

Meta-Knight fingers tightened around the star rod as a gasp resounded behind him.

"That's not true!" Joe cried.

"Stop talking lies!" Sword growled as he pushed himself onto his feet, angered that the creature would make such a terrible allegation. Lololo floated silently, his eyes still wide in remembrance. Tiff looked over at the accuser.

Meta-Knight closed his eyes tightly.

It had been so long ago, yet he still remembered…

For so long he had fought as a star warrior.

Lived as a star warrior.

Breathed as a star warrior.

Faced death as a star warrior.

Yet the star rod remained dead in his hand.

"Oh, but it's true! During the first battles against the star warriors, they proved to be a huge threat," Nightmare began, relishing in the apparent torture he was bestowing on the old knight. "So I decided to create a monster that could emulate them. An 'evil' star warrior, if you want to think of it that way. He was to sneak into their ranks and assassinate them, one by one."

Tiff's eyes widened, and she looked over to Meta-Knight. The old soldier's eyes were clenched shut, his wings trembling.

"But I didn't," Meta-Knight spoke softly. "I never assassinated any of them…with them…I saw you for what you were. I saw the monster you were, the monster I was. I stayed with them, became one of them…"

"You were never one of them!" Nightmare cried. "That star rod proves it! You can use it no more than I can! You are no less a monster than I am!" The monster bared its teeth in a ferocious grin. His voice softened. "Yet despite your pathetic attempts at redemption, you've served me better you ever had. For it was your own poor leadership that led your 'comrades' to their inevitable slaughter!"

"SILENCE!" Meta-Knight's eyes flashed red.

Tiff was surprised, yet confused by that statement. If Meta-Knight was such a horrible leader, then he would never had been revered so much, and Sword and Blade wouldn't have such loyalties to him. It didn't make any sense…

"…why …how could people view me as some kind of hero?"

"If I was as great a hero as everyone fancied I would be able to fight the monsters on my own. I would be able to fight against this serum without anyone's help… I would…I don't know, be stronger…"

Suddenly she realized. Nightmare apparently had the ability to read minds. Meta-Knight was a compassionate, competent and capable leader, but in his own eyes he was a gross failure. He was supposedly the only star warrior left, other than Kirby. Even with the knowledge that they were heavily outnumbered, the old veteran blamed himself and solely bared the burden of their deaths. In his mind, they had died under his lead, he had failed. What's worse, he was the only one who knew.

Knew that the star warrior that the underlings had revered and trusted so was not even a star warrior to begin with.

He was a monster.

A monster that had been assigned to spy and assassinate.

Despite this newfound information, Tiff didn't care any less for the old knight.

If anything, her sentiments grew.

Meta-Knight had tried so hard to be a star warrior.

He fought alongside them, took care of them, took responsibility for them.

He led them as best as he could - against the very creatures that were his true brethren. When they died under his leadership, he carried the weight of responsibility. It was a burden he had carried for the rest of his life.

And Nightmare was exploiting that vulnerability.

"I am a star warrior!" Meta-Knight roared. His body shook with barely contained rage, "and I will prove it!" He sprung into the air and dived down at his adversary. His vision was tinted in a haze of red, as rage guided his actions.

"Meta-Knight!" Tiff cried, "No! That's what he wants you to do!"

"Stop!" Joe yelled. Their cries fell to deaf ears. All Meta-Knight could hear were the phantom screams of his former comrades as they fell in droves all around him.

He had been created to assassinate them.

Yet in his valiant efforts to be a star warrior he had done just that.

Tears blurred his vision as he phased right through his adversary. Yet that would not deter him. Grappling onto the wall, Meta-Knight sprang forward and once again, his wings near his side for extra speed. This time Nightmare lunged forward, his claw reaching for the star rod! Before either could connect, Sword charged forward and intercepted his leader from the air. The two landed heavily on the ground, Sword on top of Meta-Knight.

"Don't listen to him, milord!" Sword cried, trying to pin his elder's arms down. Meta-Knight flailed his wings, trying to get away, but his wings could not support the combined weight of himself and his subordinate. "Blade and I weren't there during most of the war, but one thing we do know is that you're a great leader! You cared for us when no one else did! You showed Blade and me the right path the follow! I know that if there was anything you could have done to save them, then they would be here today!"

Meta-Knight's struggles waned as his rage transposed to surprise.

Sword now knew what Meta-Knight truly was.

Knew what he was created to be.

Yet he was still here.

"It doesn't matter what you were born to be…" Sword murmured, seeing the confusion in his leader's golden eyes. "It's what you do that determines what you are! You'll always be a star warrior to me."

"Sword…"

Nightmare growled in anger as Meta-Knight's grip on the star rod loosened. He couldn't allow the star rod to reach Kirby. Despite his youth, Kirby was still a star warrior and a potential force to be reckoned with. The massive demon raised his hands, his cape opening slightly to reveal what looked like a tornado. Lacking actual substance, the monster better represented a phantom than an entity. Nightmare was just that - a living incubus! Kirby's eyes widened in horror. Within the monster's hands the storms gathered. Finally, with a screech of laughter, he unleashed on Kirby the massive storms in a colossal, concentrated beam.

The emission was so bright Tiff had to shield her eyes. Kirby screamed in fear and averted his gaze. Despite the extreme speed of the beams, to Meta-Knight everything came in slow motion. Throwing Sword off of him, the old veteran sprang onto his feet and dashed forward.

Meta-Knight had failed the star warriors.

He had allowed them to die at the hands of the monsters.

He may not have been one by birth, but he felt closer to the star warriors than he ever had with the monsters. Yet he had failed them.

He would not let the same thing happen to Kirby.

Kirby was the last of the star warriors.

The last one who could wield the star rod.

Without Kirby, all hope would be lost.

Without hope, there is nothing.

A huge crack resounded as Meta-Knight's mask shattered under the pressure, the broken pieces flying in different directions. The old veteran flew back past Kirby and tumbled a few feet on the dirt floor. A series of sickening thuds resounded as he finally skidded to a stop and laid motionless on the grungy dirt floor…

Tuff and Blade walked through the hallways, relieved to find them empty.

"Wow, NME must have been desperate. With that device destroyed there's no monsters left…" Tuff pointed out.

"Maybe the rest of them are still out chasing Meta-Knight and Kirby…?" Blade wondered aloud. Tuff shrugged and glanced into another room. A sudden cry escaped him. The young knight whirled around, his hand straying to the hilt of his weapon, "What is it?!"

"Lalala!" Tuff cried, racing into the room. Blade rushed in behind him. The room that the two currently occupied had been demolished. In the center, a broken table resided. On the table sat, what the duo figured, was the device. It had a large crack across the top. Pinned under the combined weight of the table and device was Lalala.

With a hard shove, Tuff tried to push the device off the table. However the device was much heavier than the boy had anticipated.

"I'll push the table up, you grab her," Blade ordered. Tuff nodded in reply, pushing back tears that threatened to come.

You can't be dead! Not when we're this close!

The young subordinate crouched down and pressed his back against the table, his fingers curling underneath. With a grunt he stood up, pulling the table and device up with him. Tuff knelt down, reached forward and gingerly pulled the little pink creature from the rubble. Standing up, the boy cradled Lalala, trying to cause as little excess damage as possible.

Blade dropped the table, which hit the floor with a crash. Afterwards he tenderly felt Lalala for a pulse. Tuff swallowed a lump in his throat. She felt so cold…wasn't moving at all, "Blade! Is she alright?! Tell me she's alright!"

"I…I'm sorry Tuff…" Blade whispered.

"No! NO!" Tuff cried, hugging the lifeless cadaver of his friend close and sinking to a sitting position. "We won, Lalala, we won! You destroyed the device! We won! It's over! We're…we're heroes, Lala! We're supposed to… ride off…in… into the sunset! We… can finally…finally live in peace….! ..Lala…no..."

"Medanigh!" Kirby mewled.

"Meta-Knight!" Tiff cried as she raced to the fallen knight's side.

"NO!" Sword cried. The young soldier quickly climbed onto his feet and rushed to Tiff and Meta-Knight.

The fallen knight was laying limply on his side. Tiff gently turned him onto his back. The fine bones in his wings were broken in several places, and his battered body was covered in lacerations.

"Medanigh…!" Kirby ran to Tiff's side. He then gently nudged his elder, whimpering. "Medanigh… Medanigh!" There was no response.

Nightmare watched the exchange with a mixture of anger and surprise. The old veteran had thrown himself into the line of fire to save Kirby without a second thought. For the first time, he truly realized what it was that made Meta-Knight different than the other monsters he had created.

Meta-Knight had a soul.

"The injury is critical…" Sword concluded after a quick examination. "But he should be alright…"

The revelation only fueled the hellion's rage. Meta-Knight was created to serve him faithfully, as were all of the other monsters. Yet not only did the veteran have a free will, he chose to exercise it against him. With his strength and intellect he could have ruled alongside Nightmare, but instead he chose a life of pain and war.

Kirby slowly turned to look at the monster that had ravaged so many lives, a fire of determination in his young eyes. Suddenly he ran to the star rod that Meta-Knight had previously dropped. As Kirby picked it up, the star rod came to life! Its bright illumination bathed the room in light.

Nightmare pulled his lips back into a hideous scowl as Kirby turned to face him. "You dare to challenge me!? Child, you have barely begun to live and already you choose to die?!"

"No more Nightmare," Kirby said, his small voice calm and stern. "No more war."

"Kirby…" Tiff whispered. Lololo watched silently as he continued bandaging the wounded knight.

Nightmare raised his arms up and gathered energy between his hands. Kirby closed his eyes, concentrating his energy.

Like a sword beam, Kirby could use the star rod to unleash his own spiritual energy in a condensed beam. Finally, the two adversaries simultaneously released their blasts of energy. The two beams collided between them and held steady as both fought for control. The young star warrior's face tightened to a grimace as his beam began to weaken under the strain. Tiff bit her lip, desperately hoping that Kirby's spirit could outlast Nightmare's.

"We've got to do something!" Joe cried, and with that said he raced to Kirby's side and hurled a series of vulcan jabs into Nightmare's ray. The hellion's eyes flashed with rage and a rising column of electricity suddenly shocked the fighter. Joe cried out with pain, but it only helped to fuel his determination. With a roar, he relentlessly unleashed a line of vulcan jabs into the beam. Finally Kirby and Nightmare's energies were beginning to even out, but no one knew how long it would last

"K...Kirby…." Meta-Knight wheezed, drawing Tiff and Sword's attention. He slowly tried to get up, but Tiff gently tightened her hold.

"Try not to move too much," Tiff said soothingly.

"Kirby…" the weakened veteran looked over to see Kirby straining under the attack. "I've…got to…help him…"

"Please Lord Meta-Knight!" Sword pleaded as the old knight struggled against Tiff's hold. "Try to lie still!"

"If…Kirby fails…all is …lost," Meta-Knight whispered. "I…can't …let that happen..!" With that said, he pushed himself away from Tiff and shakily climbed onto his feet.

The little star warrior's eyes closed tightly. Even with Joe's help, Kirby's power was rapidly dwindling under the relentless onslaught. Suddenly, he felt a familiar presence behind him. Large, thick arms wrapped around the frightened little star warrior and firmly grasp the star rod. Kirby's eyes opened and he glanced behind him to see the gentle golden eyes of his mentor.

"Focus…Kirby…" Meta-Knight whispered. "I will…give you my strength…you can do it…"

Kirby looked into the brightly glowing eyes of his father figure, finding within the strength to continue. He turned his young gaze to the hellion that stood before him. The young star warrior called upon all of the strength he had. Meta-Knight channeled his energy through Kirby, and into the star rod. Combined with Joe's multitude of vulcan jabs, the beam cut through Nightmare's like a hot knife through butter.

"No! This…this can't be!" Nightmare cried, his crimson eyes widening in rage. "You're not even a star warrior! How are you harvesting the power of the star rod?!" The demon's energy was quickly dissipating under the pressure of the combined powers of Joe, Meta-Knight and Kirby. "NOOOOO!!" As the column of energy engulfed him, tremors shook the entire structure in which they stood. With a loud, horrific shriek the hellion evaporated into the column.

Afterwards the beam of energy faded away. Joe fell back as exhaustion overtook him. Meta-Knight slowly let go of Kirby and collapsed.

"Meta-Knight!!" Sword cried as he rushed to his elder's side.

"I'm… alright…" the old veteran said softly, his partially opened eyes glowing dimly. "Just… tired…"

Tiff could only stare at the empty space that Nightmare had previously occupied as realization dawned on her. "The…the…the war is over…"

Lololo had watched the entire climatic battle in silence.

Sword too was stunned by the revelation. He abruptly jumped into the air, "It's over! The war is over!" The young soldier threw his arms around the elder soldier. "We did it, Meta-Knight! We did it!"

A slight smile crossed the old knight's lips, his eyes illuminating warmly. "It's over…It's finally over…"

Aftermath:

The clouds parted over Cappytown as the rugged group treaded home. Upon their return they received a hero's welcome and met up with Blade and Tuff. From them the group received the disheartening news of Lalala's death. Yet in spite of the tragedy, the cappies had thrown a huge party to celebrate the end of the war and the heroes that fought in it.

During the party Meta-Knight snuck out. He wanted to get away from the lights and sounds of the festivities and just to be alone. After a while of wandering he found himself standing before the empty castle of their former king. The old knight jumped into the air and gracefully glided onto the rooftop. There he could see the setting sun illuminating the horizon.

The old knight closed his eyes.

Finally, the war was over.

Meta-Knight had never expected to see the end of the war. The thought had always brought the veteran a strange sense of comfort. At least he knew that he would die knowing his purpose.

But as he looked over the glowing horizon a sickening feeling of insignificance washed over him. The war was over, what life was left for him now?

"Hey…" the soft voice broke him from his train of thought. "What are you doing here…?" He turned around to see Tiff standing before him. The old soldier wasn't sure how she had gotten there, but whether or not she followed him didn't matter. He found himself appreciating her company.

"Reflecting…" He glanced back out over the horizon, "I never imagined that I was going to live through this war. But now that I have, what purpose is left for me? The world no longer has need for knights…"

Tiff smiled slightly, "That's the beauty of it, Meta-Knight… you don't have to be a knight anymore… You've fought so hard, for so long… now you are no longer a slave to Purpose. Now you can live your life however you want to!"

Meta-Knight turned to regard Tiff. She was right. The more he thought about it, the more he truly realized how much freedom he had been granted. Already he knew what he wanted to do. He would adopt Kirby. There were so many things he wanted to teach the young star warrior, so many things to show him. The old knight looked back at her, his eyes brightening considerably with the revelation.

Tiff's smile broadened at Meta-Knight's reaction. She reached her hand out to him, "Come, lets go back to the party! Lets go and celebrate our newfound freedom!"

For as long as the veteran could remember, he had never allowed himself to loosen up. In case there was an attack, he always had to make sure that he was constantly ready. But now the war was over, there was nothing that he needed to prepare himself for. With that realization in mind, he took her hand…

A cemetery was constructed to honor the fallen heroes of the war. There the bodies of Lalala, Escargoon and King Dedede were buried. Before Lalala's grave stood her twin, with Tuff a few meters behind. In the small creature's hands was a single rose, which he silently placed just before the tombstone. Tuff watched the gesture with a tinge of sadness. Lololo had failed to overcome the trauma of his sister's death, and the event left him permanently grounded. Many times their parents had taken him to the physician to find a diagnosis for his unexplainable malady. When all of the tests came out negative, the doctors eventually came to the conclusion that he had Conversion Disorder*.

"Are you ready to go…?" Tuff asked tenderly. Lololo stood in silence for a moment before finally nodding. Tuff gingerly picked up the small creature and held him on his shoulder. Casting one last glance at the tombstones, he turned his back and walked away. At that moment he vowed.

He would never forget them, their lives, and their sacrifices

But he was going to let them go

Move on with his life

And help Lololo do the same.

Joe decided to start his own acting school in a nearby town. Many creatures traveled from all over Dreamland to enroll in his school. The young fighter became very popular and helped to educate some of the greatest actors Dreamland had ever known…

The leader of Dagger's clan had died during the great battle. Due to his immense skill and heart, Dagger had been selected as the new leader of his clan. With the war over, there was no longer a need for ninjas. With that in mind, Dagger led his clan to towns that had been ravaged from the onslaught and helped the people to rebuild their homes and their lives…

After the celebrations were over, the cappies collectively realized that they needed a new king. Since Dedede had no known brethren, and Meta-Knight was the oldest and most competent, he was immediately nominated as the new King.

Upon his nomination, Meta-Knight's first announcement was that there was no longer going to be a monarchy. From that day forward they were going to be a democracy. The cappies were extremely happy with his statement, for that meant that never again would someone be granted rulership over them by birthright alone. However that wasn't the only announcement the old soldier had to give. His second, and final announcement, was that he was going to retire from politics, war, and everything related. The cappies were initially surprised, but eventually understood and even supported his decision.

To celebrate their newfound democracy, the cappies demolished the castle of King Dedede. Afterwards they expanded the town to cover the area that the castle used to occupy.

Within the expanding town, Meta-Knight and his two disciples built a large but modest home. Once their new home was complete, Chef Kawasaki hired the trio as his assistants. It hardly granted them the prestige of their former employment, but what it did grant them was much more important. After spending so much of their lives in violence, misery and pain, this gave them a peace, freedom and security beyond what they had ever wished. Meta-Knight adopted Kirby, finally fulfilling the star warrior his one internal wish - the wish for the love and belonging of a parent.

The war was finally over. While many people great and small lost their lives in the bloodshed, the war was only a rock thrown into the currents of time. The rock may cause ripples, but eventually the ripples cease, and ultimately the rock is carried away and life goes on…

The End.

* Conversion Disorder is when you have a physical symptoms with no actual cause. It is caused by a traumatic experience and is most often characterized as a loss of a bodily function (such as blindness or, in Lololo's case, the loss of his ability to fly)

Sequel - I have been asked before if I planned to write a sequel. My answer right now is maybe. I do have an idea for a sequel, however, I'm not sure whether or not to make it a sequel or a stand alone fic (It works better as a sequel, however I worry about it not living up to the first story. I will not write a sequel just for the sake of writing a sequel. I want to make sure the sequel can live up to the name of the first one) Eventually I may right a first chapter to the 'sequel' as a test and allow you to decide. However I want to work on it more and make sure that the sequel will work before I start writing.

Author's Notes: Wow, I can't believe it's over. I feel as if I had been writing this story forever. I apologize for taking so long with this chapter, but due to its extreme importance, I wanted to make sure everything comes together at the right times. I wanted to make sure that everything that needs to be said is said at the right place, at the right time and in the right way. Finally, I wanted to make sure the end was fulfilling, answered all questions and tied all loose ends. Many, many times I wrote and re-wrote certain scenes, ultimately adding some and deleting others. I want to take this time to thank you all for taking the time to read and review my story. Your opinions all meant a great deal to me, and I was able to use the reviews to monitor each chapter and make sure there wasn't anything I was leaving out, or a misspelling of character names. I was also able to make sure that all of the scenes were delivered smoothly and the angst wasn't cheesy or overkill. Thank you all very much, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the entire story, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

NeoDragon