Meta Knight

The monster transporter closed behind me as I jumped into the bright white light. Right as we left, the bomb we had placed in the center of NME's ship went off, taking down his fortress and any monsters that remained inside of it.

It had been years since I had used a transporter, but I remembered the wormhole-like walls we had to fly through. Sword and Blade had set the destination of our delivery to the transmitter in King Dedede's throne room. The only problem was, as Tiff said, the transporter was broken from the Destrayer attack. We had no other choice, though. I could only hope and pray that someone was fixing it for us.

My mind drifted to Arthur and the others as we neared the end of the wormhole. The cappies cried in panic around me. I hoped my commander and my friends had managed to get away with the warning I gave them.

"The end of the wormhole is coming up!" Tiff yelled nervously in front of me. Her blonde hair, tied back in a ponytail, flapped back into her brother's face. "There's nothing at the end! What happens if we reach it and the transmitter isn't fixed?!"

"Then we fall out into space," I said. The cappies cried out in panic. "But do not lose hope!" I cried out, silencing them. "We have made it this far! We have capable people in Dreamland! See, they have come through for us!"

The end of the wormhole, previously just a dark, black hole, suddenly opened into a portal, and on the other end, we saw the king's throne room. Curio, an old cappy with a mustache, adjusted one more bolt as we came close to coming through, and the jumped out of the way as we landed on the platform of the transmitter, falling straight onto the floor.

I managed to bounce off the platform and flip in the air, landing on my feet. Sword and Blade shakily stepped up, as did the others. Kirby came through the portal last, blinking like he was confused about everything that had just happened.

I felt his amazement, and I paused for a brief moment to savor the moment, back in the king's broken throne room, surrounded by cheering people. We had done it. NME was defeated, and the universe was saved. All thanks to Kirby and his Warp Star.

"You were right, Nicolette," I whispered out loud, turning to look through a hole in the roof at the bright sky. "He was our savior after all."

"Home sweet home!" King Dedede exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air and knocking some cappies over. I sighed and closed my eyes. Even though I was fed up with him, he was right.

"I never wanna leave this planet again!" his henchman, Escargoon, cried with glee. Tiff and Tuff ran to their parents Lady Like and Sir Ebrum, yelling with glee that we had won.

Shortly after reuniting with everyone, we all went outside the castle to watch the sunrise. Not a day ago, we had set off to defeat NME. Now all was well with Dreamland, and life could go on as it had before, but this time, without monsters or NME.

Which also meant I would probably be fighting a lot less. For some reason, this made me sad. But, with no more monsters, the cappies that had stayed behind during the battle had managed to start rebuilding Cappytown, which had been destroyed. There were some makeshift houses and tents for the people to sleep in, and Kawasaki had already set up a booth to make meals for the Cappies while they worked.

As we all watched the sunrise, I heard Dedede and Escargoon complain behind me about their castle. Then I caught the king exclaim, "I ain't even got a way to order me no more monsters!"

"What about this?" I asked, pulling his phone from my cape. I had taken it from him when he was arrested for stealing away on the Halberd.

"Huh?" Dedede exclaimed, then snatched it from my hand. "Give it here!" He tried to turn it on and call Nightmare Enterprises, but it went straight to static. They sighed sadly, but the static reminded me that there truly wasn't an evil threat to the universe anymore. Joy filled my heart as I turned back to the sun.

"Well, Meta Knight," Sword said, resting his hand on his weapon. "What do we do now?"

"Y'all are gonna start rebuilding my castle!" Dedede ordered. The Waddle Dees around us looked at each other hopelessly. But before anyone could reply, three ships suddenly appeared on the horizon. I watched them as they drew closer, and my heart suddenly dropped.

Destrayers.

"Oh no!!" Tuff cried out as they drew nearer. I whipped Galaxia from my scabbard and prepared to deflect the laser cannon balls I was sure were going to fly out at us any second. They cappies all cried in fear again, and Kirby shouted in anger.

"How'd they find us already?" Tiff cried as she and Tuff ran behind me, Sword, and Blade. But as the Destrayers reached us, they didn't fire. My eyes turned green as I watched them, then they flashed orange when the Destrayers suddenly swooped down and landed near the remains of the castle.

"Asororite monsters?" Blade asked, pulling his weapon in front of himself. Then I remembered Arthur and quickly sheathed Galaxia, stepping out in front of Sword and Blade and holding my hands out.

"Do not attack!" I ordered, then I heard a door open behind me. My suspicions were correct when I saw four figures walk down out of the Destrayer, all wearing armor and adorning Warp Stars. Their armored footsteps clanked louder as they drew closer, and my heart swelled with joy.

"Meta Knight!" Arthur cheered. We reached each other and he grabbed my hand pulling me in for a quick sideways hug. Neither of us were huggers. "It is so good to see you, brother."

"And you as well," I said.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Falspar yelled, and then he was suddenly bear hugging me. "What is this? I don't see you for fourteen thousand years and you suddenly give hugs?" I grunted, forgetting the hugger Falspar was.

"Hello, Meta Knight," Dragato said warmly, and Nonsurat nodded at me from behind him.

"You have no idea how much we missed you!" Falspar cried. I patted his back a few times and then slowly eased him off of me. "And wait a sec - is that Kit Cosmos?!"

"Ya darn right, it is," Kit said sternly, but beneath his mustache, he was smiling. He stepped in with his left foot and saluted Arthur. "Arthur, sir!"

"Kit!" Arthur exclaimed, running through the crowd of cappies and shaking the sergeant's hand. "Kit, you're alive, too?!"

"I fell into the ocean of Popstar," he said, "but I'm a tough old-timer. I found an island near Dreamland to live on, and it wasn't until these kids here got washed up on my shores that I realized the war was over!" He gestured to Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby, and the three smiled and blushed.

"Thank you," Arthur said to them, shaking their hands. "And especially to you, Kirby. I look forward to getting to know you and learn from your skills."

"Poyo!" Kirby cheered, and Tiff and Tuff laughed. Arthur looked confused.

"Thank you for helping us," I said to Arthur, stifling my laugh. "You and Joe and Sirica saved us. Without you, we wouldn't have been able to defeat Nightmare."

"We actually thought you guys were monsters!" Tiff laughed as Joe and Sirica joined us and gave welcoming hugs. "You guys were amazing, fighting those bad guys!"

"Well, we had more help than you saw," Joe said, and he and Sirica exchanged knowing smiles.

"There were others?" I asked. Hope brimmed in my heart. Had more Star Warriors survived?

"Yes, sir!" cried an excited voice from inside Joe's Destrayer, and out stepped Captain Vul, Sailor Dee, Mace Knight, and Axe Knight. "Do you remember us?"

"Captain Vul?" I gasped with surprise, but my heart pounded in my chest and I rushed forward to meet them.

Vul shook my hand heartily, saying, "Remember, we swore our loyalty to you! We weren't gonna let you fight alone!"

"I'm so honored to see you again!" I said happily. So many more Star Warriors had survived than I had originally thought!

"The honor's all ours, sir," Vul replied as his knights got down on one knee behind him, "but we're not the ones you should be excited to see." Then he dropped my hand and turned around expectantly to Sirica's ship. My heart pounded faster and I felt the thrill of anticipation churn my stomach. Who else had survived?

Two figures approached the doorway, each wearing a cape. I laughed with joy when I recognized the first.

"Richard!" I exclaimed, shaking his hand when he had hopped down from the exit. His navy blue armor flashed under his brown cape as he shook my hand excitedly, but he was shaking. "I wasn't expecting you!"

"Then you're definitely not expecting the last one of us," he said with a grin, then clapped my shoulder and went to go stand with Arthur.

"What do you mean?" I asked, turning around, but then I heard the cappies gasp. I slowly turned my head, and I nearly fainted.

Nicolette was standing there in there in the doorway, wearing a new black and gold kimono that caught the rising sun's rays whenever she moved. Her hair waved in the wind as she jumped down as stood by the ship, staring at me with an expression of disbelief. Her face had gotten thinner and her hair longer, and new scars decorated her jaw and neck.

I couldn't move. I seemed like I was paralyzed. Her sea-green eyes brimmed with tears, and as I looked into them, they seemed to carry the wisdom of a hundred years. She looked so much older than I remembered her to be. Then she was the first to speak.

"Hey, Meta," she whispered, her expression changing to one of soft joy. Suddenly I was running toward her, and she toward me, and when we met, I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her in the air, breathing in the familiar fruity scent of her hair and feeling her dragon necklace bump my mask. She laughed, and I laughed, for I hadn't heard her lovely voice in so long.

"How?" I asked, finally putting her down and catching my breath. "How are you alive? I saw you dead?"

"The Sage saved me," she whispered, looking down at the ground. "He gave me his last Meta Mato. Then Magolor found me and took me to a Kabu to heal on the New Arkiva. Richard and Vul helped me, and they've been my crew for the past years."

Tears streamed down her face, and I wiped them away. All those years of grappling with her lost suddenly meant nothing. She was here now. And it was more than I ever could have wanted.

"Yo, Meta Knight!" King Dedede yelled, and I groaned. "Who're these guys?"

"Yeah, and who's the girl?" Escargoon demanded. Nicolette looked at me and laughed quietly.

I will tell you everything when we get the chance, she thought to me, and suddenly my mind felt warm. As I looked at her eyes, they started to swirl with golden chi, and I felt mine do the same. Our bond had broken years ago. Could it be fixed now?

I'd like that, I thought back, and her eyes widened in surprise.

Our bond! She exclaimed, a wide grin covering her face. I smiled back, then turned so everyone could see her.

"Let me introduce you," I said.

...

Nicolette was introduced to King Dedede that day, and to my surprise, she dropped down on her knee before the king and asked if she could serve as one of my knights.

"B-but you're a ninja," the King replied, surprised.

Nicolette looked up and smiled. "I'm many things, your majesty, but a great ally is one of my best traits."

"She's not wrong, sir," Cosmos said, and all the Star Warriors laughed. "You'd be a fool to pass up this offer. You could have two of the greatest Star Warriors who ever lived living here in Cappytown."

"Three, if you count Kirby," Tiff added.

King Dedede looked her over, then sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter," he said miserably, "whether or not I have good warriors anymore. There's no castle to defend."

"Just because there isn't a castle doesn't mean there isn't a kingdom," Nic said, rising to her feet. "I'd be happy to help rebuild your castle and Cappytown, sire."

With that, Nicolette became one of my knights, as did Vul and his crew, although they did not swear their allegiance to King Dedede. After we were all reunited, I took all of the Star Warriors and Richard to my "lair," as Dedede called it, and showed them where I had built the Halberd.

"Unfortunately, it was destroyed in battle," I said sadly. "She was a great battleship, though."

"Why'd you call it the Halberd?" Nic asked, looking over the massive workroom.

I grinned under my mask. "Let's just say I have a fond memory of discovering I am rather good with the weapon."

"Ah, that doesn't involve Blizzard, does it?" Falspar asked, and we broke into laughter. It felt so good. I hadn't laughed with old friends in what felt like a lifetime.

After seeing my underground "lair," Sirica and Knuckle Joe had to leave.

"I'm sorry we can't stay long," they said, "but we've gotten calls about some stranded monsters attacking some nearby planets. It's our job to protect those people."

"Go then, and good skill be with you," I said, shaking their hands. "Your parents would be proud of you, just as we are proud."

"Your parents are proud of you, Joe and Sirica," Nicolette said, and to my surprise, she gave them a hug, and they accepted it. "They told me to tell you that they wish they could have been with you, but they are watching over you and always have been. Their fighting power lives on in you." She smiled at both of them. "Now go defend the galaxy. We'll always need you."

They smiled, and then took a Destrayer. We all watched them leave, and I wished I was standing next to Jecra, for I knew how proud he would be of his son.

Vul and his crew volunteered to help Sword and Blade start the reconstruction of the Halberd, and I granted them permission. Nicolette offered to help the Waddle Dees start fixing the castle. Arthur and his knights wanted to stay and help where they were needed. So we put the Destrayers in my workroom where they wouldn't be messed with and began the long process of rebuilding Dreamland.

Over the coming weeks, we worked hard day and night to fix Cappytown and Castle Dedede. It felt strange not working on my secret battleship or trying to figure out NME's plots. I also noticed that during those weeks, I never had a single nightmare.

Soon, both Cappytown and the castle were fixed and made habitable. The king immediately moved in, as did Escargoon, but I waited, not sure if Arthur and his men were going to stay. Cappytown was rebuilt before the castle, and they spent many days in the town square, teaching the children about their weapons, their history, and the legacy of the Galaxy Soldier Army. A few of the moms made their children little flags with the GSA emblem embroidered on it, a yellow flag with a white rectangle in the middle and a warp star in the middle.

Arthur also spent many hours with Kirby, letting Kirby teach him some sword techniques in Kirby's sword form while also teaching the young warrior how to defend himself if he couldn't turn into any form. Nicolette spent much of her time rebuilding the houses and stores of Cappytown and playing football and soccer with the children. Sometimes she even read told them stories of the battles of the Galaxy Soldier Army. Tiff really grew to like and, and Nic learned from her and me about Kirby's many adventures and what had happened over the past few years. Rick was either with Nicolette and listening to her stories, helping the adults rebuild the homes, or working with Vul and the new group dubbed the Meta-Knights on the rebuilding of the Halberd.

When Nicolette wasn't working or playing with the kids, she was running and training, keeping to a strict regime she had made for herself. In the morning, she ran around Cappytown, then down the path and through the fields to Whispy Woods, where she watered the trees and quickly made friends with the forest. The forest path took her back to the mountains where Kabu was, and she would stop there and catch her breath and speak with him. When she finished, she would run back around to the beach and jog by the water's edge beneath the castle cliff, and sometimes Kine would pop out of the water to greet her and ask about Tiff. Then it was back down the road into Cappytown to pick up a hammer and bucket and get to work. When the day was done, she would run either to the beach or to Kabu and watch the sunset.

I often joined her on these runs, as did Arthur, Rick, and Falspar. But when the day came that the castle construction was completed, Arthur announced that he had to leave.

"It's been a wonderful few weeks, Meta Knight," he said, shaking my hand, "but we must go back out into the galaxies and find the monsters that survived. Kirby is much more capable in your hands than ours, and you have trained him well. Continue to do so."

"Where will you go?" asked Nic, helping Falspar bring a few bags of their stuff up the hill to where we had parked their Destrayer.

"Wherever we are needed," replied Arthur. "We are going to try to find any remaining Star Warriors and Galaxy Soldiers and announce to the universe that it is safe for them to come out of hiding. Everyone needs to know that NME is defeated for peace to settle on the galaxies. And I feel that if we all survived, there have to be a few more of us left, and maybe a few new soldiers like Kirby." Kirby had helped us gather their things, and he jumped excitedly into the air. "We are going to start another army to protect the universe against future evils and keep the peace."

"You can't just enjoy the peace while it's here?" Rick asked. Arthur laughed, and then sighed.

"I have to be doing something," he said. "What use is a soldier unless he is fighting for something? That is my purpose: to protect these galaxies. Perhaps, if another evil rises like Nightmare, though I pray one never will, we'll call on your help."

"And we will be there to respond," I assured him.

"But don't be a stranger, okay?" Nicolette said, handing each of the four warriors a radio. "I've made these to be equipped for long distance, and I mean loooooooong distance. Keep in touch!"

"We will!" Falspar said and gave Nic a big hug. She hugged him right back.

"Almost wish we could leave him here," Nonsurat murmured to me. "He gets annoying if he doesn't have anyone that will endure his endless talking. Nicolette's the only one I've ever seen be able to handle him." We both laughed, and I shook his hand and wished him well. Then Arthur and his knights boarded their new ship and took off into space, waving at us as they passed.

"I'll miss them," Nicolette said as they vanished into a blink of light. "They made good running partners."

"Well, you've still got us," I said, and she smiled and looked at Rick and me.

"Well...you've got him," Rick said quietly. Nic gasped.

"You're leaving?!" she practically shouted. He nodded, then glanced at me.

"And before I do, I want to speak with you in private."

She nodded, then walked down the path from me toward the flowering fields, leaving Kirby and me standing alone on the cliff face, staring out over the beautiful ocean. Tiff and her family had watched Arthur and his knights leave from the beach, and now they were playing in the water, tossing a ball and splashing and squealing with joy. This peace was going to be everywhere once Arthur spread the news.

"Poyo?" Kirby asked, watching Tuff toss a soccer ball in the sand to some other children.

"Go on," I said to him, and he smiled up at me and ran down the hill, calling for Tuff in his own childish way. He had grown into a great warrior, though, and I couldn't wait until he grew up into the man he was born to be, many years from now. What kind of warrior would he be then?

As I sat in the sun, deep in thought, an hour or so passed, and suddenly a Destrayer flew overhead. It was Richard, and he beeped the horn in a goodbye. Everyone in the vicinity waved to him as he flew higher and higher, and then he was gone. Nicolette came back up the path to me, looking sad and happy at the same time. The sun was getting low in the sky behind her as she brought one leg behind her and stretched it.

"Wanna go for a run with me?" she asked.

...

We stopped in Cappytown to get some torches. Although Kabu's fire was always burning outside, the torches gave us a little more light, for we often stayed late talking with Kabu late into the night. We had been doing these runs together ever since Nic's first night in Dreamland, and it was then she had told me about seeing all of the soldiers who had passed and what they told her to tell me. Though Nicolette didn't understand the message to me from Chrystal, Jecra, Garlude, and Amai, I got it right away and thanked her for delivering it. It gave me comfort to know that they were proud of me. And it gave me peace knowing Nicolette got closure with her family.

This was the Kabu I had come to when I first came to Dreamland, too. When I had arrived here, there were already Waddle Dees working with Dedede that Magolor had dropped off a few years back. I had learned from other Kabus about Kirby, so I came and told this one everything else I knew about NME and how he created monsters. It was here I received much-needed advice about what to do and how to prepare to train Kirby.

Tonight, though, we were not going for advice. We were going to remember. We ran quickly through the woods, greeting Whispy as we went, and arrived in the mountains. Kabu welcomed us as we approached.

"Welcome again, Star Warriors," he bellowed.

"Hey, Kabu!" Nicolette greeted cheerfully, wiping the sweat off her face and entering. She planted her torch beside the Warp Star pedestal and placed hers in the opening. Or rather, my Warp Star in the opening. Even though it didn't need any healing, the little slot kept it safe, and Kabu used the Warp Star to extract information about battles and people. Like us, the Warp Stars experienced battle, too, and Nicolette was letting Kabu see the years she had been away through my Warp Star.

"I am still amazed that you've kept it all these years," I said. "Are you able to use it?"

"Yeah, I have a few times," she said with a grin. The setting sun and firelight made her kimono look like dragon's flames. "I can summon it, too."

"Well, you know how Warp Stars work," Kabu suddenly teased. "Only someone who truly loves and cares for you can watch over your Warp Star."

Nicolette's cheeks flushed and she rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, Kabu," she said in a monotone voice, and I laughed. Then I followed her as she climbed up Kabu's walls until we were up on a platform by Kabu's mouth, where we could sit and watch the sunset.

"So Richard really just left?" I asked. Nicolette nodded. "He took the last Destrayer and went back to the New Arkiva."

I paused, then asked, "Do you mind me asking what he wanted to say to you?"

Nicolette laughed and said, "No, not at all. Really he just wanted to bring up something that happened with Dark Nicolette a long time ago."

"Oi," I gagged, shivering. "She was awful."

"None taken," Nicolette said with a laugh. "I'm glad she's gone, too. Years ago I guess Richard had tried to confess his feelings for me, but it was right when she had captured me and switched places with me. She tried to destroy our friendship, but obviously failed."

"So...he told you he loved you?" I asked.

"Well, yes...?" she said, picking up a long piece of her hair and playing with it. "He wanted to ask me if I would have picked him to be my husband on the day I was seventeen years old and picking a suitor." She looked out at the setting sun as it sank into the ocean. "I remember a time when the sunset looked like this. That was a hard day, when I thought we lost Kit Cosmos."

"Yes," I said, remembering. Then I asked, "Would you have picked him?"

She exhaled slowly and pursed her lips.

"Yes, I think I would have," she whispered, "but I remember thinking that I wished I could pick you."

My cheeks flushed as Kabu said, "Awww."

"Hush!" I said to the great stone sage.

"Anyway," Nic said, looking down and smiling, "he wanted to tell me that he was sorry things got awkward and he thanked me for so many years of friendship. He really did become one of my best friends." She looked back out at the sun, now just a glare of red above the ocean waves. "Now he's back on New Arkiva as their military commander, and he's going to help Arthur spread the word of the new army force. He has a radio so we can keep in contact."

"Does this new army have a name yet?" I asked.

"I think I heard something like 'Galaxy Protectors.'"

"I guess we'll find out soon," I said with a laugh.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't join them," Nic said. "You seem like you would rather be fighting than teaching kids about weapon safety and history."

"Well, you're not wrong," I said.

"I still can't believe you tried to give Dedede his Nightmare Enterprises phone back to order monsters," she said with a laugh. I smiled and shrugged.

"Like you said, I enjoy fighting. I guess there's always been that wild streak present in me. But there's plenty to do here in Dreamland, and I feel that this is where I am needed most."

She nodded. "Kirby needs you here." Then she looked down at her feet curled up next to her. "I never expected it to end like this."

"Who could have?!" I exclaimed. "No fortune teller could have predicted the ultimate war for the universe would be won by a child Star Warrior."

Nic smiled. "He's pretty amazing, though."

"That he is," I said. We were quiet for a few moments, and then Nicolette sighed as the first stars came out.

"Even though I'm helping train Kirby, I still feel bad for missing out on so much," she said.

"There are still plenty of evil beings out there," I reminded her. "We will always need to be training ourselves and teaching new warriors so that evil can be stopped. In fact, Kabu told me that there are rumors circulating in the galaxies, rumors of other warriors rising up and claiming the title of 'The Greatest Knight in the Galaxy.'"

"Doesn't that title belong to Galacta Knight?" Nic asked.

"Yes, and you two sealed him away," Kabu said above us.

"I still have my wish from back when we first encountered the Galactic Nova," I said, and Nic furrowed her eyebrows at me.

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"I'm saying I may take a trip up to the fountains above Popstar and reassemble the Galactic Nova," I replied with a shrug.

"Don't tell me you're going to go battle Galacta Knight for some silly title!" Nic exclaimed.

"No, no!" I said, raising my hand. "I will wish to battle Galacta Knight so I can defeat him before someone else comes along, tries to battle him, loses, and sets him free."

Nicolette took a deep breath in and stared at the sky, now turning periwinkle as the last red bits of light faded. A cold wind blew across Kabu Canyon and she shivered. I changed my cape to wings and moved closer to her, spreading them around her. She immediately felt warmer.

"Yeah, I guess that's better than some idiot getting himself killed and allowing Galacta Knight to run loose in the galaxy," she sighed, "but don't be surprised if some idiot comes and challenges you someday!"

I laughed. "I'm not saying I'm going to do it, it's just a thought." She shook her head, but a smile was on her face.

"There are other rumors, too," I continued. "Some say that Popstar's sun and moon are starting to fight, and Kabu has heard that people are starting to see a mirror in the sky."

"Well...we did leave the Mirror World stranded here," Nic said, turning her head to look at me.

It was my turn to shake my head. "The list of things to do to protect Kirby and Popstar is never-ending."

"I'm afraid so," Nic said, and we both turned to watch as a beautiful meteor shower appeared in the now dark blue sky.

"That is only because Popstar is the home to the happiest dreams and strongest warriors," Kabu said. "It makes this planet a target for evil, and that is why you must protect it. The goodness and hope that this planet represents must be defended."

"Reminds me of a dream I had once that The Sage later explained," Nic said. "Evil will always exist with light. It can even overcome us. That is why we must stand strong against it." She shifted a little so she could see the sky more and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"You know, for once, I'm happy with my circumstances," she said. "I used to be so angry that I was chosen to be a Star Warrior and that evil could exist like it did. But now I'm ready if another evil decides to appear. I'm finally found my inner peace."

Nic smiled and closed her eyes. "There were a lot of times throughout these past years that I thought I couldn't make it or that I wasn't strong enough. The task of finding you and destroying something as big as Nightmare seemed impossible. But then I read this." She reached down beside her and pulled out my journal Dear Friend.

I was astonished. I thought that had burned.

"Chrys gave this to me when I saw her, when I was 'dead,'" Nicolette said. "Somehow this transferred between the supernatural realm and the physical realm, but I've been reading it whenever I needed to think of you. Thank you for all of the passages you wrote to me. They kept me going."

She handed me the journal, and I placed it on my lap. "So you read everything in here?"

"Yes," she said softly. "I-is that okay?"

Suddenly I was filled with relief, and I exhaled happily. "Yes. I was hoping someone someday would get to read this."

"And don't worry," she said quietly. "Your origin story is a secret safe with me."

I leaned my head against hers and took her hand. "I wish I could have been with you for the years that I missed. I used to be angry thinking you were gone, and I couldn't accept it. But now I know you're alive, and I promise that as long as I live and breath, I will never leave you again, and I will fight with you and for you until my dying breath."

"I'll fight for you, too, Meta Knight. Even if we do get separated again someday, I promise I'll keep coming after you."

"And I you."

The meteor shower kept falling, and my eyes glistened magenta. She knew what that color meant now, for she snuggled up in my arms and closed her eyes.

"You're my best friend, Meta."

I closed my eyes. "And hit or miss..."

Together, we said, "You'll always be that."