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Something strange was happening in Castle Dedede.
It didn’t happen every day, but when it did, everyone was made aware. There were mornings when the Waddle Dees began their patrols and stumbled across an abandoned spear. Sometimes a small group returned from their night route pale and trembling, unable to speak for days on end. After enough incidents, Waddle Doo declared a castle-wide emergency: his soldiers were going missing.
No one refuted him. What would they say, anyway? Not even the king knew how many Waddle Dees resided in the castle.
After this announcement, the rumors began. Some said a beast was loose in the halls. Maybe it found its way back to Dreamland after Kirby disposed of it, maybe the king ordered it last-minute before NME crumbled. It generated enough fear in the Waddle Dees that they refused to do their patrols. With so many complaints, Dedede eventually called for Kirby, Tiff, and Meta Knight to investigate the castle.
The search lasted days, and they found no trace of the beast. Meta Knight barely slept, constantly out during the night, following the twisting hallways in pursuit of a monster that could very well be nothing but imaginary. But if that were the case, then where were the Waddle Dees going?
Perhaps their numbers merely felt thinner. They began traveling in groups of three or four instead of in pairs, which could make it look like there were less of them. Besides, Waddle Doo had only collected seven spears--nothing to write home about considering the sheer quantity of soldiers.
The paranoia, or maybe group hysteria was the better word, did nothing to help. There were times when even Meta Knight was fooled by a small gust of wind, or a flickering shadow in the corner of his eye. When the head guard is nervous, everyone is nervous.
A week went by, then another, and the fear began to die down. There was no monster, there was no secret Waddle Dee-killer; the castle was safe, as it was before. Waddle Doo thanked Tiff and the Star Warriors for their help and let the Waddle Dees return to their prior regiment.
Then it happened again.
The sun was up, but it hardly looked it. Grey clouds hung heavy over Dreamland, threatening rain as the knights prepared for their daily patrols. Their breakfast was disturbed by a soft tapping on the door, followed by a much heavier knock. Meta Knight got up from his seat at the table and crossed the room to answer it.
Opening the door, he was greeted by a fearful Waddle Doo and a very unhappy king.
“You’ve got a lot to answer for, mister!” Dedede snapped, almost startling the knight.
“Did something happen, Your Majesty?” he asked tentatively.
“Something happened, alright! Take a look!” He gestured towards Waddle Doo. The commander solemnly picked up a spear from behind himself and offered it to the warrior.
Meta Knight inspected the spear, eyes growing wide.
“This--”
“You said the castle was safe!” Dedede cut in again. He stepped into the doorway, towering over the knight and glaring down at him. “Do you want all my Waddle Dees to disappear?!”
The warrior’s eyes twitched, then narrowed in annoyance. “Of course not, Sire,” he hissed in response, “but there’s nothing in the castle. We looked everywhere and found nothing. No fur or feathers, no prints or claw marks, nothing. How am I supposed to combat something that isn’t even here?”
“Clearly you ain’t doin’ your job right!”
“Sire, if I may,” Waddle Doo interjected, “Meta Knight really was looking everywhere. I don’t think he would’ve missed a monster even if it was hiding. He’s really good at finding them, you know.”
Dedede crossed his arms and looked away with a huff, brow furrowed. As he looked around the room, his eyes landed on Sword and Blade, still seated at the kitchen table. “You two!”
The pair startled at the sudden address and straightened up.
“I want you to help your boss here look for this monster!”
“But, Sire, there is no monster,” Sword repeated.
Dedede’s face turned red as he angrily gestured to the spear. “There’s clearly something! Figure it out! ” He grabbed the door and slammed it shut, leaving the room silent.
After a very long moment, Meta Knight let out a heavy sigh.
“I suppose we’re on the hunt again.”
That night, the three split up and began their search. After hours of poking into every corner, the sun rose, and no lost Waddle Dees were reported. The king wasn’t happy, though, and the next night they did the same.
As a few days went by without incident, they elected for just one of them to take the nightwatch at a time. It would ease everyone’s nerves, and the other two would still be able to patrol the castle during the day. Things went as normal until a Waddle Dee disappeared on Meta Knight’s watch. All that was left was a spear beneath the window and a smear of blood on the stone floor.
He was devastated. He practically disappeared himself, hiding away in his quarters and refusing to speak to anyone, not even Sword and Blade. It wasn’t until the following morning that he emerged, his eyes dim and weak. All he said before leaving the apartment was, “I think two of us should be out instead.”
So they split the routes again. One during the day, two at night. Every Waddle Dee they came across would be cowering, spear at the ready, aware of their potential fate.
No matter how much they searched, they still found nothing. The beast didn’t seem to care about their efforts--Waddle Dees were still going missing; a more sizable number of lost spears had been collected. The hunt seemed hopeless until one day, the castle woke up to a clue.
A group of Waddle Dees arrived at the knight’s quarters and ushered them through the halls. Near one of the large windows, Tiff, Kirby, and Waddle Doo were investigating another blood stain.
“Oh! You’re here!” Waddle Doo waved the three over, and they met him beside the stain. “Take a look at this. We have this here--” He pointed to the smear. “--and look! There’s a footprint!” He drew a line to a nearby brick, revealing a second smudge of red. It wasn’t a full print, but a shape was evident.
Meta Knight knelt down beside the commander. “It doesn’t look like a paw. Claw marks, maybe?”
“It kinda looks like a shoe,” Kirby suggested. He looked between the stain and the older warrior. “Like yours!”
He tensed, and Tiff shook her head.
“Kirby, be reasonable,” she scolded him. “Meta Knight’s got nothing to do with this.”
“I didn’t say he did,” the pink puff replied. “We should investigate people wearing shoes, is all. It’s obviously not a paw print.”
“That would take ages. This isn’t enough to go off of.”
“It’s something, at the very least,” Meta Knight said, standing up again. “It seems our monster is getting lazy. We may be close to getting some kind of answer.” He glanced to Kirby again. “We’ll keep an eye out for anyone else wearing shoes.”
Kirby smiled and nodded, and Tiff put a hand on her head.
The day went by as normal, and the night passed without incident. Meta Knight left the next morning as Sword and Blade returned from the nightwatch.
As soon as the door closed, Sword grabbed his friend’s shoulders, startling him.
“There’s something weird going on here,” the teal knight said.
Blade tilted his head. “Yeah, obviously. Took ya long enough to notice.”
“No, not that! I mean…with this monster!”
“Yeah, ob-vi-ous-ly. Spit it out already.”
Sword’s brow furrowed, a frown forming behind his visor. “Why do the Waddle Dees always disappear when Meta Knight’s on duty?”
“They do?”
“Yes! All of them! Even the very first one when we started watching, it was his turn!”
Blade stared at him for a few moments, thinking. “The thing must be chasin’ ‘im, then. Maybe it’s here to get revenge. The Waddle Dees kinda look like ‘im, don’t they? It probably can’t see in the dark, so it’s always mixing them up.”
Sword glanced away, but didn’t let go of him.
“Wait…do you think Meta Knight’s the one killin’ the Waddle Dees?”
“Of course not,” the other responded, almost a little too quickly. “Why would I think that? He’s never done anything like that before. And where would they go, anyway? It’s not like there’s any bodies that have been left behind. What would he do with them?”
Blade took a step back, a suspicious look somehow visible through his helmet. “Why do you think Meta Knight’s doin’ all this?” he asked cautiously.
“Oh, uh, well,” Sword stammered, “It’s just--there’s too many coincidences. Why does it always happen when he’s on guard? Why are they always near windows?”
“Are they?”
“Yes. I even asked Waddle Doo about the earlier ones, and all the spears were near open walls or windows. What if he’s flying in? And--well…it kinda looks like he’s been gaining weight recently--”
“What? What the hell are you talking about?! Why would that matter?” Blade took another step back. “Do you think he’s fucking eating them or something?!”
Sword lifted his hands defensively. “I-- Yes! Yes, I do!”
“You’ve lost it.”
“Just listen! There’s too many coincidences! I don’t know why he would do it, but just think about it! What other answer is there? They have to be going somewhere, and there’s obviously no monster, what else would be doing this?”
Blade said nothing, giving him a hard stare through his helmet. The other shifted on his feet, then lowered his hands.
“Look, he trusts us more than anyone,” the teal knight said. “I’m sure he’d give us a straight answer if we asked.”
“Yeah, ‘cause that’s totally an okay thing to ask someone. That’ll go over so well. ‘Oi, Meta Knight, are you the one who’s been killing and eating all the Waddle Dees for the past month?’” Blade crossed his arms. “He’ll love that. I think the paranoia’s goin’ to yer head.”
Sword looked away and let out a breath. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re…probably right.” He removed the lower half of his helmet and held a hand between his eyes. “I should just get some sleep.”
He stepped past the other and opened the door to their quarters.
“I guess it is kinda weird,” Blade muttered, making the other freeze. He shook his head, then turned to Sword. “We’ve got no evidence regardless. We can’t pin it on ‘im with a bunch of coincidences.”
“That’s how they figured out plate tectonics.”
He scoffed. “No it’s not. That’s ‘ow they figured out continental drift. And guess what? Everyone laughed at that guy ‘cause they thought ‘e was crazy.” He pushed past his friend into their room, and Sword reluctantly followed after him.
When Blade left their quarters with Meta Knight that evening, he couldn’t stop thinking about Sword’s theory.
He knew he shouldn’t have been. He’d never had a reason to not trust Meta Knight, and some baseless conspiracy shouldn’t be making him question anything. And yet, there he was, walking the halls with more anxiety than usual.
It couldn’t possibly be right! It was practically impossible for him not to be caught by now, anyhow. There were always Waddle Dees on patrol, even if they were reluctant about it, what are the chances no one was stumbling upon him? Or that Sword or Blade had never caught him?
They specifically split up the route so anyone patrolling wouldn’t cross paths. It was to cover as much ground as possible, of course, but now that he thought about it, it was a little odd.
He stopped walking, then glanced around the dark hall. Where was the nearest passageway?...
After entering a nearby broom closet and hitting a loose brick, a small door opened in the wall. He climbed through and started crossing the castle.
He popped out of a different closet somewhere else. If he recalled the map correctly, Meta Knight’s path should lead here eventually. Whether or not he had already crossed it was a different issue.
Blade listened for a few moments, then took off his helmet, freeing his antennae. A few moments passed before they twitched, and he started off in the direction of the noise.
His expression grew nervous as the sounds became louder, and his hand shifted to the hilt of his weapon. He slowed his steps as he neared an intersection. The adjacent hall was lined with windows, moonlight flooding through it.
He caught a strange, low growling and tearing flesh. His hair stood on end as he froze in place. That’s their beast. Taking a deep breath, he poked his head around the corner, starting to draw his sword.
The silhouette was sharp, ivory talons gleaming in the low light. A spear laid abandoned on the floor, accompanied by blood seeping into the bricks.
Blade mustered as much confidence as he could find, then took a silent step around the corner, his gaze fixed on the beast.
It lifted its head, revealing the silver mask hastily shoved out of the way, speckled with blood.
He dropped his helmet.
CRASH!
The figure whipped around, silver eyes growing wide and wings raising in alarm.
“Meta Knight!!” Blade nearly shrieked, stumbling away and drawing his sword as quickly as possible.
The warrior snarled and turned towards him, then launched into the hall with a powerful flap of his wings. He knocked Blade to the floor, his weapon skidding out of his hand and out of reach.
He kept his eyes shut and resisted another shout as Meta Knight’s claws dug into his arms, keeping him pinned down. Breathing was nearly impossible--he could smell the horrid stench of carrion on his breath. Something warm dripped onto his face.
“Look at me,” the warrior growled.
When the other did nothing, his claws sank deeper through his skin. “Look at me!”
Hesitantly, Blade opened his eyes, meeting his friend’s wild gaze, rabid, even, glowing fiercely in the dark. Blood oozed from between his fangs, running down his face and raining on the one beneath him.
“You.” His eyes narrowed, and he leaned closer. “What should I do with you? I suppose I could just kill you, but that would be no fun, would it?”
He jabbed the point of his sabaton into Blade’s side. “How unfortunate. You two have been so kind to me the past few years. I suppose it was bound to end this way.” He leaned in even closer, inspecting him carefully. “Maybe I should just tear out your throat, then. Make it quick as a thank you.”
“What’s wrong with you?!” Blade snapped, an outburst that the other was clearly not happy with. Meta Knight grabbed his wrist, tightening his grip so suddenly it felt like it was about to snap off his arm.
“I’m a soldier, Blade,” the warrior hissed. “Or at least, I was. Now I’m just a monster with nowhere to go. If I can’t kill, I can’t live.”
He started to laugh, his furious stare softening to an unnerving grin. “And it feels so good to hunt. I don’t expect you to understand. But come on now, can’t we live and let live?” He pressed his sabaton further into the other’s side. “No one has to know. What’s a few Waddle Dees here and there? Not even Waddle Doo knows how many there are. No one will miss them.”
“You’re sick,” Blade spat, though not quite as harsh as before.
“I’m not sick, dear.” Right in his face, Blade was almost certain the warrior’s heavy breathing was intentional, overwhelming his senses with the smell of death. “I’ve never felt more alive.”
At the sound of pattering footsteps, Meta Knight sat up, head snapping to the adjacent hall. Blade looked over just in time to see Waddle Doo and a handful of Waddle Dees stumble to a halt. First they spotted the corpse, then the Star Warrior nearby.
Waddle Doo drew his sword, and the Dees raised their spears. “M-Meta Knight?!” the commander questioned. “What are you doing here?!”
The warrior cursed under his breath, then let go of Blade and launched towards the window again. He leapt over the edge and spread his wings, soaring away from the scene in an instant.
Blade stared for a few moments, then dropped his head and looked up at the ceiling. He could barely hear the Waddle Dees over his heart pounding in his ears. He closed his eyes, then pulled in his aching wrist and squeezed it with his other hand, cringing at the pain.
Now what?
“Blade! Blade!”
He reluctantly opened his eyes to find Waddle Doo standing over him.
“What happened? Are you alright?”
“Meta Knight’s killing the Waddle Dees,” he said, almost surprising himself with how tired he sounded.
“Well, I can see that much.” The commander looked to the adjacent hall. “What are we gonna do about it?”
Blade pushed himself up. Ahead, he saw the Waddle Dee’s body, mangled and split open to reveal its half-eaten insides. He grimaced and looked away. “I don’t know.”
A moment passed in silence before his eyes went wide and he jumped to his feet. “ Sword! I have to warn Sword!” He darted past Waddle Doo and sprinted off down the hall, ignoring the commander’s calls behind him.
Sword couldn’t sleep. Not even a little.
Standing at the kitchen counter and staring down at the glass of water in his hands, he was starting to wonder if his theory really was ridiculous. Really, it made no sense, right?
Maybe it would happen again tonight. Maybe that would be enough to prove it.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when the door opened. Meta Knight stepped inside, looking a bit surprised to see the other standing there.
“Hello, Sword. Can’t sleep?”
The teal knight shook his head. “Um, this whole thing has me on edge. I kinda feel like there’s nothing we can do.”
The warrior nodded, then picked up his cloak and started to cross the room. “You remember how I was acting a few weeks ago. This whole situation is absurd. I can’t begin to think of an answer.” He stopped beside the table, staring straight at Sword with that eerie, piercing gaze. “Have you had any ideas?”
He froze, then set his glass on the counter behind him. He folded his arms together, looking for something to occupy his hands. “Well, if I’m being completely honest, I…feel like it might be you.”
Meta Knight blinked, then tilted his head, an eyebrow raised. “Me? As in, I’m the one killing the Waddle Dees?”
Sword nodded. The other glanced away, looking at a loss for words.
“That’s preposterous,” he eventually replied. “I would never do something like that. Really, Sword, do you think so lowly of me?”
Sword squeezed his arms, his hands starting to go numb from the nerves. “You’re lying.” His voice cracked when he said it.
Meta Knight’s eyes flashed white. He pulled off his mask and set it on the table. “Does it look like I’m lying?”
A chill shot down Sword’s spine when he met with the other’s silvery gaze. There was something… off about his empty stare, the light in his eyes appearing dimmer than usual.
“Yeah. It kinda does.”
Meta Knight’s eye twitched, and a smile started to curl across his face. “Ah…I suppose you know all my tells by now. It’s nothing impressive, though--I didn’t exactly do a good job of covering my tracks.”
He slowly stepped around the table and approached the other. Sword pressed against the counter in an attempt to back away.
“Can you blame me? It’s easy to get caught up in the action.” He stopped right before the other, staring up at him almost inquisitively. “I can’t imagine you understand. Perhaps you should try it sometime.”
“Eating someone alive?” Sword questioned anxiously.
The warrior shrugged. “Or just the hunting part. It’s delightful.”
Now that he was so close, Sword could see that his fangs were stained red. “Where’s Blade?”
“Still out,” Meta Knight answered simply. “I didn’t see him.”
“Stop lying.”
The warrior’s face flickered in annoyance, his unsettling smile distorting into almost a glare. Sword made an attempt to move away, but froze again when Meta Knight snagged his wrist.
“It’s none of your concern,” he growled. “He’s fine. Now why don’t we just carry on and forget about this? Is it really worth all this effort to worry?”
“What? No way! You’re insane!” Sword tried to pull his wrist away, only to be met with immovable resistance. “Seriously? What’s wrong with you?!”
The knight’s entire body appeared to tense in frustration, and in a heartbeat, the other’s hand was in his mouth.
CRUNCH!
“AAAGHH! What the fuck?!”
Galaxia flashed to life between them, its spikes pressing into Sword’s throat. The teal knight glanced to his hand, falling limp and bleeding in the warrior’s grasp, before looking to Meta Knight again. His eyes were filled with fury, and strangely…amusement? But perhaps worst of all: hunger.
“Don’t look so scared, darling,” he hissed. “Let’s be reasonable for a moment.”
“You just fucking bit me!” Sword sputtered, only for Galaxia to press closer against him, starting to cut into his neck.
“Think about it.” Meta Knight switched his demeanor, speaking cooly as if he weren’t threatening to slit the other’s throat. “Just one Waddle Dee here or there? It’s the most humane way to go about it…Don’t look at me like that. I make it quick. All they feel is the pounce before I cut them open, and even then they’re barely conscious for even thirty seconds.”
“Thirty seconds is a long time when you’re bleeding out.”
The Star Warrior let out an audible sigh, closing his eyes and looking down at the ground for a moment. When he lifted his head again, there was a glint of realization in his eyes. Another terrible smile broke as he looked up at the other.
“Hmm…Blade’s made enough of a commotion already, I can’t have you running and telling everyone. If you really care so much about those Waddle Dees, I suppose I could always eat you. ”
The color drained from Sword’s face as his heart stopped. He stared in horror as Meta Knight looked over him, sizing him up like a lion tracking its prey.
“Actually, I’d really prefer if you didn’t!” he squeaked. Galaxia’s edge cut further into his neck, starting to draw blood.
“Where’s your loyalty?” the warrior questioned, almost sounding betrayed. “Play along, at least. Would you rather be alive or dead?”
Sword didn’t answer at first, doing everything to lean away from the weapon. “You’d have to come up with a story,” he bluffed. “I can’t just disappear! Everyone will know it was you!”
“It’s too late for that. The whole castle will know the truth by morning.” He eyed the droplet running across the golden spike. “At least let me enjoy this while I can.”
Meta Knight leaned in and ran his tongue up the spike and to the other’s neck. Sword nearly fell over; he grabbed the counter with his free hand in an attempt to steady himself. He was stuck for only a moment before he seized Galaxia’s hilt.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” Meta Knight immediately tried to yank it away, but with all the strength he could muster, Sword kept a grasp on it.
“Get away from me!” he barked. He met the warrior’s bloodshot eyes, and in a blink he was clamped down on his arm.
Sword cried out as Meta Knight’s teeth pierced through his skin and tore away a chunk of his flesh. The warrior released him, and he crumpled to the ground, his injured hand flying to the bloody hole in his arm as he gasped for air.
And Meta Knight laughed. It sounded almost maniacal, unlike any noise he’d ever made before. He knelt down next to Sword and titled his chin upwards with Galaxia’s sharp point.
“Thank you for making my decision for me,” he said with a smile. “But I won’t make you suffer. I’ll aim for an artery next. You’re my friend, after all.”
His sickening laughter started to fade and Sword’s vision filled with stars. As the warrior’s teeth sank into his arm again, everything went black.
Blade burst through the door, nearly tripping as he stumbled into the room.
“Sword! Sword, where are you?!” he called. “You were right! It’s Meta Knight! It’s--”
He screamed when he saw the blood spattered on the floor and against the cabinets. Rushing over, he expected to see remains of some kind, but the floor was clear.
He desperately looked around the room and found the door to their quarters was open.
Creak!
Before he could turn around, he was stopped by an overwhelming pain shooting through his body. His vision went white, and he only recovered feeling a hand on his shoulder and a breath against his neck.
Shakily looking down, he found Galaxia’s red-coated point sticking through his chest.
“I’m sorry it has to end like this,” Meta Knight purred in his ear, “but it’s too late for both of us.”
The weapon dislodged from him, and he collapsed to the floor. He tried to breathe, only to cough and choke, feeling the blood filling his lungs and throat.
“If it’s any consolation…”
Blade strained his eyes to look up. The beast met his gaze, and a smile grew on its blood-stained face.
“You’ll make a fine dessert.”