(Note: If you're familiar with my other fics, this would come shortly after Impulse-Momentum.)

Dedede threw himself into his bed, staring at the top of the canopy above him. The soft blankets were comforting to him, though it was familiarity that gave that feeling since he was already covered in soft feathers and a plush, velvety robe. The room was quiet, a sound fairly unheard of at the king's castle, but something he desperately needed after his last visitor. Did someone count as a 'visitor' if they invited themselves in, or did they just have to visit him? Maybe unwelcome visitor fit what he was thinking.

He'd managed to rid himself of Kir—of the pink pest plaguing him with 'news', but much to the Dees' surprise, the two hadn't battled at all…not even with races or board games. Kirby had left without giving him any fight other than being stubborn, but what he'd said left Dedede feeling like he'd been in battle against a two-planet army.

"Meta Knight's kind of mad at everyone. He tried to take over Dream Land, but I stopped him, so now he wants to talk to you and explain things, he said. I don't know when you'll see him, but I thought I'd tell you and say hiiiii! Are you gonna thank me?"

Even if Meta Knight hadn't had the chance to make it to his castle to fight, the king still felt as if the puffball had already defeated him.

Beaten. Almost beaten again by a…knight. Whatever species he is. I've got a fluffy puffball, an ancient Dark Matter blob, and now a knight, all trying to throw me off my throne. Mom and Dad didn't have these sorts of problems; why do I?

He didn't know why he bothered believing a pink puffball, especially since they were talking about someone neither of them were too familiar with. He shouldn't believe his rival, Kirby, of all people, and let the pink nuisance spread gossip about someone who'd helped him out in the past. But considering how much some citizens of Dream Land wished there was a different king on the throne, Dedede couldn't help but question his relations with the sapphire puffball…if they even counted as 'relations' at all.

What did he know about Meta Knight? The first and only time he'd seen the knight was when the Nightmare Wizard had tried to corrupt Dream Land and potentially take over the universe. He'd just finished distributing the Star Rod fragments, with only two left in his hand and the thought that he'd keep them both, and then—then, Meta Knight had dropped out of nowhere in all his fairy-tale-garbed glory and asked if there was anything he needed help with. In hindsight, it wasn't really the best decision to give the Star Rod piece to a total stranger, but the puffball had bragged enough to assure the king of his competence…and if Dedede didn't know the guy, how would Kirby know him?

Naturally, it was a complete shock to the king that Kirby had beaten him. Then again, it fed Dedede's ego to know that he wasn't the only person who'd been defeated by Kirby, so he hadn't cared too much after Nightmare had been defeated. The pink puff was powerful; no kidding. He was…

He—

He's better than the king of Dream Land, right?

No. That was not the case. Just because he was strong didn't mean that he could become king; the citizens loved Kirby, but that alone didn't give him the right to the throne.

Launching a traditional assault on the country and taking the throne by force, however? That was probably a pretty legally-valid way to do things, and it was what Meta Knight had supposedly done, wasn't it?

Maybe it showed that Dream Land was a country worth taking over. That was a good reason to conquer a land, right? His parents had expanded their control to this land, and he'd followed suit; that was why he was king today. History was built on that sort of thing; even if Dream Land had a respectable leader, people would always jockey for control of territory. That was always a good reason to take things over.

…But, it could also show that Dream Land's ruler wasn't good enough. After all, Meta Knight didn't have any territorial rights himself…maybe? Knights always worked under kings; he couldn't. But if that was the case, the sapphire puffball could simply be tired of the current king, and decided to replace him. After all, why would anyone bother taking over a country, if it wasn't for greed or justice? There was no reason, and Meta Knight didn't seem to be the type to do things for the fun of them. If he did things for fun, he would've shown up at one of the annual parties, or the cappies' festivals, or something. Dream Land was a safe haven, a place where peace was preserved and there were plenty of opportunities to relax and do things for your own pleasure.

…Usually.

Well, Dream Land's all good, but not all the citizens are always the best at being good examples of their country. At least to me. I heard some of them are jerks to Kirby though; maybe they're just overall stupid.

The cappies always complained—though fortunately, not all of Dream Land listened to them; maybe just the Burts, and some Poppy Bros, and a few others. But it didn't change the fact that Dedede wasn't good enough for the cappies' king, and they'd made that very clear. It was only because he'd done next to nothing in his kingship that nobody else could criticize him for his position—that and his potential power. The citizens of Dream Land would have to organize their own miniature army to take him on, and they'd have to get through the Dees before they could even make it to the king. Dedede was considerably larger than most creatures on Popstar, and physically stronger, as well. It wouldn't be wise to pick a fight with him—even if he was so inexperienced in battle.

But for someone who did have those skills under their belt, the king probably wouldn't pose too much of a challenge. How would he know? Only Kirby had ever battled him—and consequently, defeated him. But if Meta Knight had made it to the castle with the intent of usurping his throne, how would things have played out? Would the knight ask for a duel with his king…and if so, who would win?

Probably Meta Knight. Dedede scowled, hanging over the side of his bed for no particular reason. Meta Knight's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve. After all, it's not every day you see someone holding a magical sword and a bunch of papers with stamps and honors brag-sheets. If I were to go against him, I'd have no clue what I'm up against. At least being rivals with Kirby means that I know most of the things he can do when we're fighting, but Meta Knight…

The sapphire puffball was a total wildcard at this point. A lot of people on Popstar had never heard his name, since he rarely came out in public. Dedede didn't even know where exactly the knight lived; he knew the general area, but if he had to find the puff without a Dee's assistance, it may very well take ages unless he had an obvious hideout.

What did Meta Knight even do all day? Who was he affiliated with, and why did he move to Dream Land? Was it just the closest place he'd passed…or, were there other ulterior motives involved? What were his special abilities? Could he use magic? And just how did he know Kirby? Admittedly, the pink puff's name was well-known considering the start of his promising career as a star child, but there was just something about the way the knight had talked that implied familiarity with the hero…

They're both star children, probably. I wouldn't doubt it. The penguin rolled against the headboard, flopping into his collection of pillows. He's got a magical weapon, so it would be a surprise if he wasn't a star child. Just another special person to knock me off my throne. Who cares that I'm strong and have special skills just like Kirby now, too? Maybe as king, I should make them care. Show them just how 'bad' of a king I can be…again. Didn't work too well the first time, but third time's the charm.

But it wasn't supposed to work like that! Dedede and his parents had expanded their empires fair and square, and they hadn't needed to cause a war over it, either. He was born and raised in Dream Land, even if his parents had been from another planet. Popstar was his home. Surely he was fit as anyone else to be king…especially when his rivals to the throne were aliens who'd come out of nowhere to live here! Wasn't that stupid? Why would you put an alien child on the throne of your country when they knew nothing about the land or the job description? Did people really want their king replaced by a stranger?

It's because Meta Knight's powerful. He's powerful and I'm not. The king scowled, rubbing some stray tears out of his eyes. Insults to his pride hurt, especially when he was the one handing them out to himself. He's exactly the sort of person that the cappies would want for a king. Not even accounting for how cool and mature he is about things. Can anything tick the guy off?

Dedede clenched his comforter in his hands, wanting to rip it to shreds but knowing that it wouldn't earn him any compliments. Especially if Meta Knight was involved in the comparison. From what little he knew about the sapphire puffball, the star child's reaction would probably be to ask how destroying valuable property would make him feel any less angry…if the puff even knew what it was like to be angry.

But how would Dedede know that? He'd spent half an hour with the guy, and he already felt that he was bested. It didn't help that the Waddle Dees—his own Waddle Dees—thought that the puff was amazing, and he hadn't stopped to ask why. Hearing them verify his thoughts wouldn't help his ego at all, and yet…

…somehow, in the reaches of his mind, he couldn't quite bring himself to be angry at Meta Knight.

It was all too easy to blame him. The sapphire puffball was the reason he was having a tantrum in his room, sulking and bitter. Meta Knight received praise from his citizens that they'd never given the king, no matter how hard he'd tried, and he made it look so easy and natural to boot. The puff just couldn't be that perfect. If it wasn't for his sword and the fact that he was probably a star child, the people of Popstar wouldn't like him as much. There wouldn't be any comparison if he wasn't a star child.

But deep down…

What if they're right? What if—

…what if he really would be a better king than me?

Dedede punched the side of the bed frame, causing a loud crack to resonate throughout the room. The penguin forced back more tears as he clenched his hand, ignoring the fact that there were a few splinters lodged in his glove.

It's not fair! I've been bullied all my life by all these people who think they should be on the throne instead of me, and now Meta Knight comes in and tries something out and they'll probably look at him as a hero! They'll love him for doing that! He's never even shown his face around town or anything, but I know they'll still…say…he's better than me. Just because they don't know him and he doesn't like me.

Did Meta Knight hate him? Kirby hadn't said anything about that…but then, Kirby hadn't said much. He probably didn't know the answers to any of Dedede's questions. Unless the two of them really did know each other.

I didn't want him to hate me…He seemed so nice. He wasn't rude or mean to me when I had the Star Rod pieces, even when most of Dream Land was pretty angry about that.

Maybe you're wrong. Maybe you read him wrong. After all, everybody hates you no matter what you do. They just hate you.

Despite knowing that he was essentially just throwing a temper tantrum, the king still couldn't help but let some salty tears trail down his cheeks. Of course, being a penguin, this didn't have the desired effect since the water just rolled off his feathers without a trace.

Nobody believes in me as the king; only the Waddle Dees are nice to me. I tried to be as nice as mom and dad, but I guess nobody liked them, either. We aren't star children, and that's all that matters to anyone. He reached up to rub his tears away with his gloves, but more simply filled their place and spilled from his eyes. All I can do in life is sit here and wish I was a 'real' hero! It's not good enough for them to just have a nice person, and it's not enough for them to have a strong jerk, either! And all Kirby does is make it worse; how can he claim we're friends or rivals when he sees what the townspeople think of me?!

And Meta Knight…

Dang, I never thought I'd have that problem with Meta Knight. A complete stranger is better than someone who's already good enough for the job. What have I ever done to irritate anyone?

There were actually quite a few mishaps, including the 'Spring Breeze incident', that potentially irritated the citizens of Dream Land…but for the sake of sulking, he decided that they weren't really that relevant or important in that choice. That was all in the past, right? He wasn't bothering anyone now, so why were they still grouchy about his kingship?

And Meta Knight. What does he think I have a problem with? He doesn't even know me—unless he's been spying on me. But that would be creepy. And he'd have to know where I live first. I-It's not like he'd get anything from spying on me anyway; I don't have anything to hide except my chip stash. He wouldn't waste his time stalking me.

Just to be safe, Dedede glanced around the room. Upon seeing nothing, he continued moping.

Ugh…This is stupid. If Meta Knight hates you, big deal. There are plenty of people who hate you already. Just because he seemed like a nice person doesn't mean he actually is. Just wait until he—

"Great King?"

Dedede started and turned around, trying to wipe his face off very quickly so that whoever was at his door wouldn't notice. The hinges of his solid-wood door groaned, just like the Dee struggling to pull them open. Fortunately, they didn't have the chance to catch that he'd been…upset. Or maybe they just didn't feel as if they should point it out.

"G-Great King, you have a surprise visitor. He says he wants to talk to you about something, but he looks a little rough...Should I tell him to come to the throne room?"

Dedede stretched, shaking his robe out as he got off the bed and strolled over to his mirror. "Yeah, take him to the throne room. I'll be there in a sec for my surprise."

What 'surprise'? There's not much he can say to you that the cappies haven't already.

But a surprise was exactly what he got.

"…Though I didn't cause any damage or harm any civilians, I feel that I should extend my apologies to you for acting against you when it was the people of your country causing the problems. However, I should give you a fair warning—Had I been another country or an alien conqueror, you wouldn't have been receiving this sympathy spiel."

Meta Knight coughed, shivering under his cape. A pair of wings made holding the garment around him quite awkward though, and Dedede was only waiting for a proper break before he asked where the heck those wings had come from. Did they just sprout out of the puff's back? He hadn't had wings when he'd taken his piece of the Star Rod…so, what had happened in between?

Besides getting beaten up by Kirby. Meta Knight probably thought that the king was smirking because he was thinking of some sort of punishment to give him or basking in his power as king. In reality, it was a smile caused by Dedede's happiness that even Meta Knight wasn't good enough to beat Kirby. The sapphire puff looked half-drowned, torn up, and one of his wings was hanging at an awkward angle. The cape covered most of his injuries, but the bent-or-broken wing made his condition fairly obvious. Surely that was an indicator of how much better their fight could have gone.

"I…I only came here because I, unlike the majority of your citizens, realize that you are not really a bad person, and therefore deserve none of the venom-laced comments they could have thrown at you. I'm not sure if they share my morals…but I believe it's not right to blame someone simply because there's no one at fault. I don't know what Kirby's told you about this whole affair, but…the only reason I had to ever attack you personally was for the sole fact that you rule a country whose citizens are mostly hypocritical idiots, and thus hold the only seat of power of said citizens." His injured wing twitched, causing him to flinch. "I know I had no reason to inform you of any of this, your Majesty, but I didn't want you to believe that I held any ill will against you. Not like the cappies and the poppies do."

Dedede waited a few seconds, to see if Meta Knight had finished talking. He'd talked for a straight fifteen minutes explaining his case, so the king wasn't sure if he was really through with everything he had to say. When the sapphire puffball continued to motionlessly stare at him, the penguin decided that he was probably done speaking.

"Uh…wow. That was a lot to take in." The king scratched his side. "So uh, anyway, where'd those wings come from? You grow 'em or something? You didn't have them the last time I saw you."

Dedede could have sworn the puff gasped, but whatever noise he made was too quiet for him to hear correctly. "You're…You're right, your Majesty. Our species does experience metamorphosis, actually. Though, this wasn't supposed to happen to me for another few decades, at least, so I'm unsure whether they'll still be functional after Kirby—put me through a slightly-metaphorical blender…"

"So you can fly?" Dedede repeated, not fully understanding what the puff had just said. In that case, it was probably for the better that the mask hid Meta Knight's reaction to his question.

"Hopefully."

The king frowned. "Huh."

Some answer. Vague enough for you?

"And you don't have to call me 'your Majesty', you know. It's 'great King' in Dream Land; it's always been." He straightened up on his throne, staring a little closer at the puffball. "You aren't from around here, are you? Or have you just been living in the back woods too long?"

The causal tone of the conversation seemed to deeply confuse the knight.

"I'm…I'm not familiar with your kingdom, your—great King. I don't have a Popstarian license or identity pendant, either. So yes, I'm rather new here."

"You don't even have an identity pendant yet?" The king raised an eyebrow. "Weirdo. Everyone wants one. I guess they're pretty expensive, though."

'Expensive' was quite an understatement. An identity pendant was the equivalent of a birth certificate, or a mark to symbolize what planet you swore allegiance to. They were created from precious metals or gemstones, with a small photograph of yourself in the middle similar to a locket. Of course, one reason they were vastly popular was due to their high price—Popstar's pendant was made of gold with Dyna Blade's wings spread behind it. Even with magic and interplanetary trade, resources weren't always cheap…but cost wasn't an issue; the pendant was a part of your heritage. Most people were proud to flaunt theirs, unless…

"It's, uh…nice to live here, isn't it?" Dedede asked, the slightest bit of worry rising in his stomach. "I mean, so far. I know you just said you're new, but nothing's wrong with Dream Land, is there?"

"'Different' isn't a criticism I have with your country, your Maj—great King. It's a bit too warm for my tastes, but this seems like a nice planet, outside some of its citizens," the puff replied, remaining motionless as always. Dedede had to wonder what the knight was hoping to accomplish by keeping so still. Was it to prove he was mature or something…or was he secretly nervous or tense? He was talking to a king whose country he'd just tried to conquer, so either explanation was pretty reasonable.

Regardless of that, a compliment about his kingdom was always a good way to boost the king's ego. Though hearing it sincerely felt…different, from the Dees' obligatory praise. Dedede tried to fight back a smile, but he couldn't contain it all. It felt good to receive an actual compliment, and it had been so long since he'd last heard one about himself…

"Well…Thanks for that." The penguin grinned. "Though hold on there…"

The king jumped off his throne and strolled up to the knight, leaving barely any room between them. The size difference was quite noticeable, even with Meta Knight standing on the tips of his feet (Which barely earned him two extra inches of height.) The sapphire puffball tensed, unsure of whether the king was going to try attacking him, or if this was just to give him a power trip. Meta Knight knew as much information about Dedede as the king knew about him, and considering the ways the penguin could have taken the revelation that his throne had almost been challenged, things could go very badly indeed.

"You said you didn't like the citizens here, right?"

"N…No—" Meta Knight flinched, though no one could see it. "I—I meant that I wasn't fond of most of the citizens. The Dees are my friends, but…unless I'm unfamiliar with other species, I'd say no. I'd probably prefer not to interact with any others. I don't have much in common with them."

"Does that include cappies, by any chance?" the penguin prompted, mostly straight-faced.

"Huh. I don't particularly like them." The blue puffball tried to pick his words very carefully, just in case the king expected him to say that he liked them. "But if you know some fair, good-hearted cappies, I wouldn't mind meeting them. No offense to your Majesty."

Dedede hesitated. Then his face broke into a huge smirk. The king crouched down to offer his paw to the puffball, who was relieved to accept the treaty. "I'm not the biggest fan of them either. They're all jerks who think everyone sucks except them, just as a warning, uh…" The king frowned, releasing the puff's hand. "...what do you usually go by? I never asked before. You got a name beyond 'Meta Knight', or a title, or is that just it?"

"'Knight' is my title, your Majesty. Unless…you have a different title for it?"

"Huh? Well, I don't have any knights myself, but I think most of the time they just have 'sir' and their name as their title. They don't say 'knight' after their name." The penguin shrugged. "Seriously, where do you come from?"

A Dee tried to step on the king's foot, hoping that he'd correct how blatantly he'd potentially offended the puffball. Unfortunately, the size difference came into play again, and Dedede barely felt it.

"Well…" The puff hesitated for what seemed like an eternity, leaving the room hanging in silence. "I…come from…here. I was told this was my home, but I was raised off-planet. Dream Land…is certainly different from what I'm used to. I would have preferred to head elsewhere, where I'd fit in better, but I came here to search for my family. Which is a monumental task when you only know your first name."

Dedede gave the knight a skeptical look. "Why not get your records or something? If you were born here, I've gotta have them somewhere in one of my castles…Maybe. I've never seen 'Meta' before in any of 'em. It'd be boring, but if you wanted to find your parents, there you go."

The puff lowered his head. "Considering my circumstances, I'm not sure I want to know who they are…or if they still are. Orphanage only happens two ways, and considering my mother was with me for a time...I could turn up nothing more than a tombstone, honestly. It ruins the fantasy of finding perfect, loving parents, no matter how badly I want to learn the truth." He shrugged, though it was barely noticeable to avoid disturbing his injured wing. "Fantasy and reality don't always mesh well."

"But Meta Knight," the king argued, memories of his parents flooding back to him. "Even if they're dead, they—still care about you, you know? You aren't going to throw that away, and what if they're still alive? You can't get them back once they're gone. Trust me, I know. But they're still why you're here today!" Dedede stopped, mentally raising an eyebrow at that sentence. "I mean, maybe not why you invaded, but…c'mon. Think about it, at least for your king."

Meta Knight let his cape fall from his grip, lowering his paws to his sides. The puff's skin was burned in a few places, and blood seeped through a makeshift bandage on his arm. And now that he was close enough to see the knight better…he couldn't help but notice a slash near the top of the puffball's head. Was it from a sword or knife of some sort? That was the only explanation; a mace would have left bruises, and it didn't look like the wounds he'd seen spears and arrows inflict.

"If your Majesty would be pleased from it, I'll pursue it," Meta Knight offered carefully. "But, your Ma—great King, I mean…Didn't you have anything else to say to me?"

Dedede blinked. "Huh? About what?"

"About…what I came here for. You…aren't upset with me, are you? I wanted to be sure I resolved that."

It took a second for Dedede to remember what exactly they been talking about in the first place. Actually, it took more than a second.

"Oh, the invasion?"

Meta Knight nodded.

"Oh." The king frowned. "Well, what were you expecting me to say about it? You weren't upset with me, so I don't really care. Just…don't try to conquer my kingdom again, okay? You know I trusted you with the Star Rod piece; I would've listened to you if you just came and talked about it. But try to take over again, and Kirby's not the only person you're gonna have to fight, just sayin'."

"I understand, your…great King. I'll try not to involve you in my personal affairs, going forward," the knight murmured. The king couldn't help but notice that the puff's paws unconsciously tightened, like he was trying to grip his cape despite it being out of his grasp. "I just wanted to be sure I apologized, if I haven't already."

"Well, great. You're all good and settled and forgiven and everything."

Dedede gave Meta Knight a shove, noting how tense the puff was despite that. "C'mon, loosen up a bit! This is Dream Land; the biggest threat here is Kirby! No need to be so serious all the time. But speaking of time, I've got mov—stuff to do. You need anything else before I go?"

"I…No. I believe not at the moment, great King," the puffball answered quietly.

"You know…for not knowing anything about you, you're not that bad of a guy, if I didn't say that back at the Fountain of Dreams." Much to everyone's surprise, Dedede gave the puff a genuine smile. "And maybe I should be angrier at you, but hey. You're cool. You were willing to help me out back then. If you came all this way to apologize to me about this, before going to a doctor or anything…I can't really think of any reason why I wouldn't believe you. But anyway, you probably should get yourself to a doctor already. Actually, Dees!"

The Waddle Dees near the door of the throne room straightened up, giving the penguin a quick bow. "Yes, great King?"

"Take Meta Knight—" He pushed the puff toward the Dees, unsure of why the knight was so reluctant to move anywhere. "—to the infirmary and get 'im patched up for me. He was in a fight with Kirby."

The Dees' faces betrayed their curiosity as they turned toward Meta Knight. The sapphire puffball tensed, trying to pull his cape around himself without making it too obvious. He didn't refuse the king's offer though, so he must not have minded…right?

"Anyway, I'll see ya later, Meta Knight. Stop by later if you want your records, okay?"

"I'll keep that in mind, great King. I have plenty of things to attend to now that Kirby's destroyed my ship," the knight answered.

"Well, just lemme know when you need them. But…" Dedede pushed past them, and strolled out the door. "I got a show to watch now; excuse me."

Suddenly, the king heard something metal clicking on the floor.

"Your Majesty!"

Dedede blinked, turning back around to see some surprised Waddle Dees and Meta Knight staring at him.

"Yeah?"

The puff sighed. "Thank you, your Majesty. Thank you for…everything tonight. I appreciate it."

The king smirked, a warm feeling blossoming in his chest. He hadn't felt this way in a long time; maybe since his parents died…what could have caused it?

"Yeah, you're welcome."

He still didn't know anything about the puffball. Very few of his questions had been resolved, and he wasn't sure if the knight would answer them if he asked. But he had found out one thing tonight—that not everyone in his country hated him, or believed he had no right to his throne. There were people who cared about him as a person, not just about his heritage and powers. People who…cared about him, or at least his opinion. And not only that…

"You deserve it, Meta Knight. I don't really know you that well, but you seem like a nice guy." Dedede flashed a peace sign at the sapphire puff. "I do plenty of things people misunderstand. Even if you didn't do things the greatest way, at least you're a good person. I'm not gonna hold too much against a good person."