Author Notes: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mind Seeker and Pikana for helping me figure out the rating of this fanfic. Thank you guys! The words in italic are thoughts. This is NOT yaoi. I repeat, NOT yaoi. Everyone is in human form. CHARACTER DEATH AHEAD!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in here except the plot.

??? P.O.V.

Why… Why did you leave me…

I was your apprentice; and you even dared to call me your son, and yet, you still left me.

You promised that you'll also be with me, that you'll never leave me like our friends did, but you didn't keep that promise did you? You lied to me.

Was I actually nothing to you at all? Was I not good enough, did I displease you?

I called you father and you called me son.

You had taken me under your wing, and had taught everything that I needed to know and then you even taught me more.

You had praised me for learning so quickly, and I thought those praises meant that you were pleased.

If you praise someone, doesn't it mean that you are happy and pleased with that person, doesn't it?

Or were all your praises a lie, a fake, a blindfold for me so I can think I was walking into a watermelon patch, but instead, was walking near the edge of a cliff.

Or were they actually real?

I dodged a quick slice overhead and quickly thrust my sword, hoping that the blade would touch skin and flesh, but unfortunately, I was a millisecond too late and he leapt back, quickly and silently like a cobra.

I admired his deadly grace and agility, fast like a leopard and yet, still graceful like a swan.

I knew it took years and countless numbers of training and hardships to develop such masterful swordsmanship; that was why I always wished for it, to become a great swordsman like my father.

You promised that you would help me accomplish it and when I did, you would be proud of me…

You said that it was one of your dreams!

I suddenly felt angry at him, tears threatening to fall again as I felt an invisible knife stab me over and over.

I raised my sword, yelling sword beam and I actually thought in horror that it was going to hit him, but what a fool I was.

He dodged it; making it look like it was one of the easiest things in the world… and making me look like an idiot.

He raised his dull crimson eyes towards mine and quietly drawled out, "Is this the best you can do? If it is, I'm quite ashamed to have such a weakling of an apprentice."

I winced, his words stabbing me again, my mind wrenching and sobbing in pain as I was kept breaking into pieces in the inside.

Weakling? Weakling… You call me that now, but you used to call me one of the best…

Which one is true? Weakling, or one of the best?

I snapped out of my shock quickly enough to block his sword with mine.

The sounds of screeching metal filled the air as we struggled for dominance.

I took this chance to try to reason with him.

"Please father," I said tenderly, pleadingly, hoping that he would soften up to the word he endearingly loved," snap out of it. This isn't you!"

Tears fell out of my eyes, as hurt and the shock of his betrayal stung my heart.

He was silent, saying nothing and doing nothing except for holding his sword firmly as a barrier between me and him.

I dared to raise my eyes to his, hope singing in my mind. Did he finally recognize me?

Suddenly, he pulled out another sword out of his cape. My eyes widened as he swung it at me, and I leapt back quickly, managing to avoid a fatal blow to the head, but earning crooked jag on my cheek for being oblivious.

"Lesson number 435. Always have another sword with you at all times." He said quietly, but it was lined with venom and darkness.

My cheek should have stung a bit, but the invisible wound in my heart numbed out all the pain, and I felt nothing except anguish.

"Please-!" I begged, lowering my sword a tad bit, trying to show him that I did not wish to harm him, but he ignored it, rushing at me with two swords this time and whipping them towards my head.

I blocked them both, struggling to keep up with his speed while tiring out dangerously fast.

I can't keep this up much longer. How long has this battle been going? A day? A week?

I feebly blocked another strong blow to my head that managed to numb my arm.

I leapt back again as he swiped his other sword beneath my feet.

I panted, struggling for breath as he just stood there calmly, looking as though he didn't even break a sweat.

After catching my breath, I rushed at him quickly, and our swords met again, but this time, I pulled out another sword that I had hidden beneath my cloak.

The cloak that you had given me for my birthday…

I swiped it beneath his feet, but again he was too quick, leaping out of the way; so I threw one of my swords at him.

My aim seemed justified and true, but he blocked it and it only slightly grazed his cheek before clanging to the ground at his feet.

I thought I saw his crimson eyes flash, but flash from what?

Admiration…

I threw a sword beam at him, but he dodged it easily like always, but that wasn't my goal.

Rushing in fast like lightning, I gave a sudden, sturdy slice with my sword, electricity crackling around the edges, and my mind sang joyously as both of his swords were knocked out of his grasp and slid far away as his balance failed him and he fell onto the cold metal floor.

I pressed the tip of my sword to his neck; a little bead a blood appearing as it slightly cut his skin.

Panting, but feeling victorious, I quietly begged again, "Please father, snap out of this."

He just sat there, staring up at my crystal blue eyes with his dull crimson ones and not a word coming out of his mouth.

We stayed like that for a while, having a staring contest as tension built up in the cold, still air.

Finally he spoke, but it was not what I had expected.

"Where is that attack from apprentice? Do you remember which lesson it was?" he asked.

I was quite surprised at his question. I thought he was going to ask me if I was going to kill him.

"Lesson number 576, lightning dash…" I said confusingly. Why did he ask this question?

I saw him slowly smile, and I foolishly thought he was back to normal, so I slowly removed my sword from his neck, until it was safely by my side, relaxed, not even ready for a sudden attack as I believed that he wished to start a conversation, not an attack.

"Wrong. I'll ask you again, do you remember what Lesson number 576 was apprentice?" he said in a mocking voice.

Lesson number 576 was… trickery. Yes, it has to be trickery.

"Trickery, it was tri-…" I stopped at mid-sentence, as my master smile widened and I recognized what he was about to do.

"NO!!!" I screamed, leaping back in horror and desperation, but as always, I was a millisecond too late, and a third sword that my master hid was thrust through my chest.

I gaped at him in horror and pain. Pain from his sword, but more pain from the realization that he, my mentor and father, was the one who killed me.

My sword fell from my shaking hands and my crystal blue eyes started to dim as they shed tears.

Maybe I was really nothing… Maybe he called me his son to trick me… Yet, why do I still feel like he is still my father? Why did he betray me? Why did I have to die like this? I wanted to die peacefully… Why?

He stood up and whispered in my ear," You always were so naïve apprentice, and true warriors, are never naïve. Nor do they ever beg."

I slumped to the floor as he pulled the third sword, Galaxia, out of my chest.

I saw him smile faintly through my tears and began to close my eyes, too weak to try and resist death.

At the last moment, I found my fading voice and with it, whispered my final words.

" Why Meta knight? Why…"

I was dead.

Meta knight's P.O.V.

I began wiping the disgusting blood of my dead opponent off Galaxia with his brown cloak and greedily drank in the sweet smell of victory.

My crimson eyes flared as I let out a short, cold laugh.

It was quite amusing to see his shocked face in the end, it had almost made me laugh during the battle, but laughing is quite inappropriate during one.

A battle is supposed to be serious and is meant to be laughed off later after it is finished.

Anyone who laughed during one was quite an imbecile and did not deserve to live.

"Very good Meta knight… I'm very pleased with you," hissed a slippery voice.

I turned and bowed, quietly saying," Master Nightmare…"

I heard my master chuckle as he looked at the dead Star Warrior and grin widely.

"Yes Meta knight, very good. In fact, it's almost too good. We'll hold a feast in your honor tonight. I trust that you'll be prepared for it." Nightmare chuckled deeply before vanishing in a thin wisp of black smoke.

I bowed again and replied quietly," Thank you sir, and good day to you sir."

I turned around and smiled faintly as I gazed at the bleeding corpse of Kirby. Victory was so sweet, wasn't it?

Yet, I had a tiny doubt in my mind, a feeling that nagged me that this wasn't supposed to be a victory, but instead, a mistake.

I felt as if something was off. Very off…

I frowned and walked briskly out of the door, demon beasts bowing to me as I past by before returning to their own businesses.

I walked faster until I was practically sprinting, trying to escape the Star Warrior's haunting voice, but it kept returning to me no matter how fast I ran.

I finally reached the door to my room and rushed in quickly before fanning out my wings and leaping out of the window.

I flew fast and furious, the cold night air rushing past me and the full moon's pale glow illuminating my scowling face.

Yet, I still couldn't get rid of his last words…

It seemed to echo and echo, never fading or weakening, a haunting memory that wouldn't disappear.

Why Meta knight? Why…

I wept.

Author Notes: …I was feeling very out of character when I was writing this. Very depressing, no? Please R&R before you go and thank you for taking your time and reading this.