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The nights of Dream Land are quiet.
The hills that had been so bustling during the day now held their breath beneath the moonlight, hushed and still. Insects in the grassland chirped thinly, distant trees rustled in the wind, and beyond that, there was nothing. Night dew clung to grass blades, catching the moon's light and glimmering faintly.
There was no disturbance to watch for, no commotion to guard against. Not tonight.
Axe Knight, a squat little skeleton wielding an axe, and Mace Knight, a slightly larger one swinging an enormous iron ball, walked silently down the moonlit path.
It was a direct order from their esteemed lord, Meta Knight. There was no room for question. Night patrol of Dream Land—that was tonight's mission. Walking side by side, they advanced along the moon-illuminated road. Their equipment made no sound in the gentle breeze, and they exchanged no words. Only their footsteps echoed in steady rhythm against the grassy path.
But then—
"Yoo-hoo!"
With that simple cry, a pink round figure appeared from the other end of the road.
It was Kirby.
Trotting over with little bouncing steps, Kirby came to a carefree stop right there. As if he'd been out for a pleasant nighttime stroll, his face was utterly untroubled. Moonlight painted his cheeks white, and his eyes gleamed round and bright. Such cheerfulness was entirely out of place in this deep night.
"What are you two doing out here at this hour?"
"That’s our line, you know. Kirby, what are you doing out at a time like this?"
"Hmm..."
Kirby tilted his head thoughtfully for a moment, then broke into a smile.
"I was having a 'whoever falls asleep first loses' gourmet race with King Dedede, but he fell asleep, so I asked Warp Star to take him back to the castle. Now I’m just heading back!"
The two warriors exchanged glances.
"You're still competing over foolish things..."
"Indeed."
Axe Knight sighed as well, unable to keep the exasperation from his voice.
The image of the so-called King Dedede dozing off during a gourmet race was easy to imagine, and it stirred an indescribable feeling. He knew the king had no interest in state affairs, but did he really lack the ability to behave like a proper ruler—? The exhaustion from night watch sank heavier into their bodies.
"So, what about you two?"
"We're on night patrol under Lord Meta Knight's orders."
"Orders? Meta Knight's still so cold. Since the Meta Knights are your friends, shouldn't he treat you nicer?"
"Wh—"
Axe Knight let out an absurd sound.
"Lord Meta Knight is NOT cold, and we are not 'friends'!!"
"Don't you understand hierarchy!?"
The two voices burst into the night's silence. Something in the nearby grass startled at the noise, and the insects' chirping stopped abruptly before resuming tentatively. Kirby merely blinked at them in confusion.
His face held not a trace of malice. That very lack of guile made it all the harder for the two to bear.
"Well..." Mace Knight collected himself.
"We're in the middle of patrol, so Kirby should probably head home already—"
"Then I'll help and we can finish faster!"
""Huh?""
"Meta Knight will be happy if you get back early!"
Kirby smiled brightly. It was the kind of smile that left no room for argument, wrapping up every objection in pure, innocent cheerfulness.
""Wait, what?""
The two exchanged glances again. Neither moved to stop him, neither nodded in agreement. Only the night wind passed between them.
Before they knew it, the three were walking side by side.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
By the time the moon reached its zenith, Dream Land's night road had grown even quieter.
The green hills that sprawled far and wide during the day were now submerged in deep night shadows. Only the road's edges were lit by moonlight, drawing a thin white line beneath their feet. The sound of insects. The rustle of distant trees. And flowing underneath it all like a baseline, a leisurely voice.
"This is my first time playing with the Meta Knights! Hey, what should we talk about?"
"This isn't playing!!"
Axe Knight's correction meant nothing to Kirby, who trotted along at a comfortable distance between them, his small feet tapping the road.
There was no tension in his bearing—he seemed to treat the night patrol as nothing more than a casual stroll.
"W-Well..." Mace Knight considered for a moment before speaking hesitantly.
"What is the source of Kirby's strength?"
"Eating well, sleeping well, and playing lots!"
The carefree answer came immediately. There was a pause.
"...That sounds incredibly lazy..."
"If strength came that easily, we wouldn't struggle so..."
The two fell into a distant stare.
While suppressing the urge to demand recompense for all their daily training, they kept their patrol pace steady. With each swing of their weapons, each bit of physical conditioning accumulated over years, Kirby effortlessly surpassed in a single sentence.
That reality seeped slowly into both of them.
After walking in silence for a while, Axe Knight lowered his voice and continued:
"K-Kirby, you've fought all kinds of enemies so far... who was the toughest one you've ever faced?"
"Hmm..."
Kirby tilted his head thoughtfully while walking.
Keeping his gaze forward, he seemed to consider something, then answered:
"I dunno!"
"You *don't* know!?"
"'Cause I don't really think about stuff like 'oh, this one's strong' or 'that one's tough!' I just always wanna solve everything quick and then eat something good and crash!"
The two fell silent.
The words came from someone who had saved Dream Land countless times, yet they sounded nothing like what a true hero would say. The memory of defeating great enemies, the record of desperate battles—for Kirby, they were merely a prelude to "delicious food and sleep."
Mace Knight coughed softly and lowered his voice further.
"That's absolutely *secret* from Lord Meta Knight, understand?"
"We kinda knew already, but it still hurts to hear..."
There was a weight of accumulated hardship in that whispered lament.
As the two stared into the distance, Kirby suddenly gasped and cried out:
"Oh, oh! The Meta Knights! The Meta Knights were *super* tough!!"
"That's 100% lie!!"
The three voices cracked through the night's silence. The grass rustled in alarm, and the insects' chirping fell silent again before tentatively resuming.
Kirby just offered a silly, carefree grin.
Axe Knight and Mace Knight exchanged looks, then sighed in near-perfect unison.
"Can I ask you a question too? Why are you guys such good friends with Meta Knight??"
"Well, we simply follow him, so it's not exactly friendship—"
"No use explaining anyway, Axe. Lord Meta Knight is incredibly strong and cool, so we, being inexperienced, seek his guidance nearby!"
"Huh—but *I'm* cooler and cuter!!"
"Riiight, sure..."
"Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that."
After that, the trivial conversation continued.
About Dream Land's delicious foods. About how much they ate during gourmet races with King Dedede. About where and what Kirby had eaten. About how harsh the Meta Knights' training was. The moon slowly tilted westward, and the road stretched endlessly on.
Somewhere along the way, something peculiar crept into the conversation—both of them had almost forgotten, somewhere in their hearts, that they were in the middle of a mission.
A yawn slipped out.
"Fuwaaaa..."
Kirby's voice suddenly became soft and rounded. The cheerful tone from before melted away almost instantly.
"Talking so much... made me sleepy... night-night..."
"What!? That's a problem, Kirby!"
But Kirby's eyes were already drooping shut. Before Axe Knight could grab his hand, Kirby simply collapsed right there with a soft *thud*.
In the middle of the moonlit road, his round body went completely limp, revealing a blissfully peaceful sleeping face.
"We don't even know where your house is! Hey!!"
No answer came. When they shook his body, not even his eyelids twitched.
"...There's no response."
Mace Knight sighed and crouched down to peer at Kirby's face. He slept so contentedly. In the middle of the night road. At this hour. In the middle of patrol.
After watching Kirby sleep for a while, he spoke quietly:
"We may not measure up to Lord Meta Knight, but we are knights all the same... leaving him here would be unbecoming of a knight..."
"Besides, he did try to help us..."
Silence fell between them.
The two surveyed the night road. The moonlit grassland stretched endlessly. The grass swayed in the wind, and beyond it, the path dissolved into night's darkness, its end unknown. There was no way to know where Kirby's house lay.
After a while, Axe Knight took up both the axe and mace, while Mace Knight wordlessly shouldered Kirby.
The round, small, soft form fit snugly against his back. It wasn't heavy. Yet there was a strange weight that wasn’t physical upon his shoulders.
"...It's not heavy."
"That's not the problem here."
Axe Knight replied with half-closed eyes. The two set off walking. The moon tilted further, and the night deepened. The grass path continued endlessly, and Dream Land stretched on, hushed and oblivious.
"Our return will be delayed, and we're carrying Kirby on our back..."
"If Lord Meta Knight sees us like this..."
Axe Knight muttered. His voice carried a peculiar heaviness—the kind that grew exhausting merely by imagining the scenario.
"...And just what do you intend to do?"
It was at that moment.
A black silhouette descended behind them.
Soundlessly. Without warning. Simply—there it was.
Dark blue cape. Golden eyes gleaming within the mask. The shoulder pads caught moonlight faintly. A quiet sense of overwhelming presence permeated the night air.
"The other Meta Knights have returned. Why are you wasting time? What is that burden?"
A voice fell into the night road—low, quiet, admitting no excuse whatsoever.
""GY-AAAAHHH! L-Lord Meta Knight!?""
The two's screams tore violently through Dream Land's night silence.
Bronto-Burts sleeping somewhere took flight from their branches in alarm. Only Kirby, oblivious on Mace Knight's back, continued sleeping peacefully through all the commotion.
Struggling to swallow his panic, Axe Knight's voice came out slightly pitched:
"Th-This is Kirby... he wanted to help us..."
"He fell asleep partway through, so we thought we'd at least escort him home..."
Meta Knight fell silent for a time. His masked gaze turned briefly to observe Kirby sleeping on Mace Knight's back, then returned to the two, then drifted back to the sleeping form. What he was thinking was impossible to discern from behind the mask.
"Leave that thing. It won’t die.”
The words fell like ice.
"Treating him like a 'thing'!?"
"C-Come on! He was only trying to help us! That's way too harsh!!"
An unusual desperation mixed into Mace Knight's voice. His body leaned slightly forward, as if shielding Kirby's back. Axe Knight nodded firmly alongside him, their gazes fixed squarely on Meta Knight. The two's eyes held steady.
Meta Knight exhaled shortly. The night wind blew. His cape's hem stirred quietly.
"...Do as you wish. I will not help."
""Thank you so much, Lord Meta Knight!""
Their voices overlapped. Both bowed deeply. Meta Knight gave them a single glance.
Then, after a brief pause, he pointed in a direction with one hand and spoke quietly:
"You don't know where Kirby's house is, I'm sure. Head straight northeast—you'll see a round house eventually. Return quickly."
""Understood!""
His cape fluttered, and Meta Knight's silhouette dissolved into the night's darkness.
Soundlessly. Without warning. Simply—he was gone.
The two who remained stared at each other for a moment. Then Mace Knight adjusted Kirby's position on his back and turned toward the northeast. Axe Knight fell into step beside him. Their footsteps returned to their steady rhythm on the night road.
The moon quietly illuminated them both.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Dream Land's morning was fresh and clear.
Sunlight crept slowly across the hills that had lain quiet through the night. Grass sparkled with dew, Tweety-birds sang, and the night-chirping insects faded away to blend with the morning air. It was that time when the world slowly opened its eyes.
Morning light filtered into the Meta Knights' training grounds as well.
The sound of metal striking metal echoed in steady rhythm, and the Meta Knights' weapons gleamed in the morning light. Even Axe Knight and Mace Knight, who had finished night watch, bore faint shadows of exhaustion beneath their eyes, yet they took their place in the formation and swung their weapons nonetheless.
They'd returned with Kirby only when the night was quite deep. Still, training didn't stop. That was the way of knights.
—It was then.
"Hey there, Axe Knight and Mace Knight!"
A voice descended from the sky.
A Warp Star cut through the training grounds. Gleaming in the morning light, it descended at meteor-like speed and came to an abrupt stop right in front of Axe Knight and Mace Knight. Riding it was, needless to say, Kirby himself. He hopped down with a full smile, showing not the slightest hint of last night's fatigue.
Trotting over on small feet, Kirby's voice rang with joy:
"Thanks so much for seeing me home yesterday! Playing with you was so much fun!!"
"It wasn't playing!"
"It was patrol!!"
Both voices spoke in unison.
The training ground's air stirred slightly, and the gazes of other Meta Knights flickered in their direction. Kirby beamed innocently.
Whether he'd forgotten what happened last night or understood everything perfectly, his radiant smile revealed nothing.
"Next time let's play with the other Meta Knights too—"
Kirby glanced around the training grounds. His gaze drifted slowly across the assembled Meta Knights.
Then, as if struck by inspiration, he spoke casually:
"Oh, but Meta Knight is so cold and never plays along, so it's a total secret from him!"
"That's not a secret if you say it out loud!!"
Axe Knight's voice shot up in pitch. An awkward silence descended over the training grounds. The sound of swords swinging seemed to stop all at once.
Mace Knight's face paled as his eyes darted about—and found him.
At the edge of the training ground. Facing them. A dark blue cape. Yellow eyes fixed straight on Kirby. There was no way to tell how long he'd been standing there. Morning light caught his mask, making it glow dully in quiet radiance.
"L-Lord Meta Knight, that's not... Kirby was just joking around—"
But Meta Knight simply fluttered his cape. The movement betrayed no hesitation.
His sword was drawn silently. Morning light illuminated its blade white.
"Troublesome. I’ll cut him down."
""P-Please wait, Lord Meta Knight!!""
Both voices overlapped. The training ground's air grew taut, and the other Meta Knights quietly stepped back.
Kirby walked up to stand directly in front of Meta Knight.
Before that raised sword. Without hesitation. His round form was framed in the morning light, his eyes looking up at Meta Knight without fear.
"Come on, the Meta Knights are going to be upset."
His voice carried an exasperated tone, yet something strangely earnest beneath it. There was an odd core of seriousness within his casual speech.
"The Meta Knights are some of your only friends, so you should be nicer to them..."
"Subordinates are not friends."
""Just stop talking and go home already!!""
Now it was the two knights' voices that rose in protest against Kirby. Kirby blinked in confusion, then nodded simply as if nothing had happened. "...Okay? Understood!"
His Warp Star was summoned. It appeared in the morning light, and Kirby hopped aboard. He didn't look back. Waving his hand, he shot off toward the sky, his figure shrinking almost instantly and disappearing from sight.
Silence returned to the training ground.
The sound of a sword being sheathed rang out. Axe Knight and Mace Knight were about to breathe sighs of relief when—
"...Will you side with Kirby over Lord Meta Knight?"
Captain Vul's voice fell quietly. It seemed he'd come to observe the situation.
His tone was low and calm-sounding, yet somehow probing.
"Don't even joke about that!"
Axe Knight practically screamed. His voice might have been louder than during normal training.
Beside him, Mace Knight was shaking his head with maximum intensity.
Then Meta Knight's voice continued:
"...I will not interfere in my subordinates' friendships, but should you become my enemies, I will show no mercy."
His voice was low, quiet, yet unshakeable.
In the morning light, those words fell with a heaviness like night itself.
The instant they landed, Mace Knight threw his entire body into vehement denial:
"It's a misunderstanding! We're 100% loyal to you, Lord Meta Knight!!"
That voice rang clearly through the morning training ground. Axe Knight bowed deeply as well, their combined desperation filling the morning air.
Meta Knight said nothing in response. He simply fluttered his cape quietly and raised his sword again. His back revealed nothing—just the silent back of a taciturn knight, as always.
Morning sunlight warmed Dream Land gently, and the sound of weapons being swung returned to the training ground in steady rhythm once more.