Terra/Story

This is the progressing of the large story of Terra's beginning, upbringing, and development until his canonical inclusion in The Adventures of White.
==The Great Sabotage: Facing Death in the Eyes==
Nightmare's new demon beast--given the Project name DeathBringer--is a being who, if the rumors were true, would have a power unparalleled by the two Star Warriors of Pop Star. Hearing of this, Meta Knight made a decision to take Kirby and himself to Nightmare's base, on a mission to destroy DeathBringer before it ever has a chance to open its eyes...
===Introduction===
"Nightmare's base. We've finally arrived. Now to do what we came here to do..."
The great Halberd was steadily approaching a large, purple, crystal citadel in the middle of space, as Meta Knight watched on, holding the hand of the still young Kirby beside him. "Hm. This sabotage...its result shall determine the fate of Pop Star. Kirby. As young a warrior you still are, you must feel this, too. This sense of urgency."
He looked to Kirby, who was shivering slightly. Even if he still didn't understand Meta Knight's words, it was clear he felt the same ominous presence that the swordsman wished to sabotage and destroy.
"It is time, Kirby. We only have so long a time before this new demon beast is activated. The same size as you or I, and yet infinitely powerful..." He shook his head. "It seems unheard of, that such a beast exists. However, if such a thing truly exists, then we must make haste."
The Halberd finally reached the citadel, and landed some distance away from its main entrance, covered by the veil of shadow. After all, this was to be a silent sabotage. Nightmare's whole army was certainly invested in protecting the being that would finally turn the tide against the remaining Star Warriors.
Both Star Warriors exited the Halberd quietly. The sabotage was about to begin.
===Chapter 1===
It didn't even take a minute after getting out before Kirby began to start cheering out, where Meta Knight immediately covered his mouth, before it could be made audible.
"I wonder, even now," the swordsman mused, "if it was wise to bring him with me."
The pink puff slowly stops attempting to speak out, and finally allows the two to continue on without drawing any attention to them. If even one enemy finds them, it could be very troublesome. After all, the whole base is ready to protect the being they were after. Of course, Nightmare was personally working on him, as well, which means this "Project DeathBringer" was near the center of the base. It was clearly a suicide mission, but Meta Knight was still unfazed.
The two quickly approached the main entrance to the base. There was no chance of this being a silent mission, but Meta Knight simply hoped that it would be silent long enough. Time was running out, after all; Project DeathBringer was nearing completion, and his activation would mean the end of the few Star Warriors left.
The only thing that was working to Meta Knight's advantage was the shroud of shadow over nearly everything in the base, as well as just outside. Visibility was rather poor, so without making sounds, they were nearly impossible to spot. However, Kirby still threatened to be a liability. As long as he was quiet, though...
But there was no time to stand around for the two. The door was just opened by one of Nightmare's underlings, and the two rushed through as soon as the underling was slightly away from it. They raced towards the rapidly closing window of opportunity, and just slipped through, still, to this point, unnoticed.
"Hmph." Meta Knight gave a very brief sigh of relief as he spoke softly, almost to himself. "That was possibly one of our toughest obstacles. From here, we may slip in unnoticed."
However, it seemed it was not meant to be. Only a small while delving in showed that this project was more protected than they had thought. It seemed that the whole army was hell-bent on protecting DeathBringer...
"Kirby. I require your silence for the moment," the patient knight whispered softly to the pink puff. "I understand you feel the same impending fear that I feel. However, if we are to even have a chance to get to this danger, we must stay out of their way."
Kirby smiled, and replied with a short nod. Even without being able to say a word, he understands Meta Knight more than enough regarding their current goal.
Immediately, he found a sudden opening. "Kirby...! Now!"
The two sprinted through, as quickly and quietly as they could, hoping not to be caught by any of Nightmare's army. This base wasn't exactly large; they couldn't be much further from DeathBringer now, and that was all the more reason to not screw up now for the two Star Warriors.
Both Meta Knight and Kirby just make it before anyone else crosses their way, lurking in shadow once again. They had successfully made it one step closer to the sabotage's successful completion.
...Looking ahead, it was only tougher. The final room's door was visible, but the number of guards was insurmountably large. There was no way they were going to sneak in like this. They were going to have to confront this army.
Or would they?
Looking back, Meta Knight spotted one guard, alone and isolated from the pack. Perhaps, they could...
"...Hm, we can work this out quite nicely. Kirby, wait here."
Meta Knight quickly rushed the lone guard, taking them out silently, and removing the demon beast's mask, spear, and gauntlets.
It was a long shot, but it was at least a shot, and that was all that mattered to him. The masked knight ran back to Kirby with the equipment, and began putting them on him. "Kirby, with this on, you will lead me straight toward the door."
Of course, the naive creature didn't understand what Meta Knight's plan was, and his confused expression said it all. To him, after all, it seemed like suicide. Walk straight into the line of sight of the enemy? That's crazy, even for him...
Despite the doubt, however, Kirby's trust easily overpowered those thoughts. He smiled once again and allowed Meta Knight to finish putting on the mask and gauntlets, taking the spear and standing tall with it.
The intention so far was successful. Kirby looked just like the guard. The clever swordsman then unsheathed his sword, and also gave this to Kirby. "Now then. Lead me straight to them."
Kirby, now impossible to distinguish through the costume and act, gave a brief nod. Meta Knight turned around and walked forth, with Kirby following immediately behind. It was time to get to Nightmare and take down this DeathBringer threat before it even draws its first breath.
===Chapter 2===
The two were approaching. Kirby was acting the part, walking silently as he made it to the twin doors leading to Nightmare's central quarters, with Meta Knight ahead of him, acting as if he were captured. The doors were right there...
And it took one mistake for those hopes of making it in without drawing attention all disappear. The pink puff tripped and face-planted, breaking his mask, and obviously ruining the whole guise and act.
"N-no...! We were--"
Meta Knight could not even finish the thought, before the army of guards began to attack.
"Kirby! Quick! My blade!"
Kirby quickly responded, tossing the blade to him as he ripped off the gauntlets and prepared the spear. He was as ready to fight as the knight, knowing full well the consequences of losing.
...And yet, through it all, he continued to smile. It's as if he knew everything would be alright. Or perhaps he was just naive enough to believe it.
"Now then," Meta Knight muttered as he caught his Galaxia, "time to finish what we started..." He jumped forward and lunged at a group, dealing a devastating spin attack to everyone around.
Kirby quickly followed, taking the spear and dealing piercing stabs to an opposite group, taking out several demon beasts with each strike.
They continued the fight for a while, a battle of skill versus vast numbers of a seemingly endless army. The beasts outnumbered the two a million to one, but even hordes could not pierce past the two and their expert ability to fight.
Every slash and stab from the two cleared another five from the horde. Backs to each other, Meta Knight and Kirby worked in sync to keep the numbers from overwhelming them. Finally, after minutes upon minutes of a grind-out against this horde, the numbers finally began to dissipate, slowly approaching the golden number of zero.
And then, finally, the last blow was dealt to the large army, finishing off the last of the weak, numerous demon beasts. Meta Knight sighed, walking slowly to the doors that stood in front of the two.
"Hm...not even scathed. Nightmare's troops have certainly lost some zeal thanks to this special project. But that only means he is that much more powerful, very likely..."
Kirby, as always, replied with a brief smile, aware of the stakes of failure, and yet not afraid.
"Naive as always, hm...?" The blue knight sighed heavily. "Perhaps it was not just to bring Kirby into this, but this is not the time to regret." He sighed yet again, as he finally got up to the large twin doors, and prepared a sword beam to demolish it.
However, all was not finished, as yet another demon beast came, ready to attack. This one was a more unique beast, with a heavy, crimson set of armor over it, and a large, rusted, silver excalibur in its hand. It was clear that this demon beast was the captain of this area to protect. It immediately began to attack the two from behind...
...But Kirby was not completely oblivious. He sprang into action and took the hit from the excalibur in the demon beast's lunge. He attempted to block it even slightly with the spear, but relative to the excalibur, that spear that Kirby held in front of him was the equivalent of a toothpick, and snapped instantly under the pressure of the massive excalibur, not even slowing down the impact of the dangerous weapon. The blade immediately made contact with Kirby, and sent him smashing straight into a wall.
"K-Kirby!" The knight ceased the sword beam's charge, and turned around to face the armored demon beast. "Hmph. This is a mistake you'll not forget..." He covered himself with the very cape he was wearing, and seemed to disappear in a flash, only to reappear behind his enemy, and uppercut it where it was most exposed, where neither the shield nor armor could possibly guard. This slash, in turn, certainly harmed the large beast. However, he was not finished yet. He prepared a counter for the large beast as it turned around for a spin slash, dodging away from the blow and swinging the sword counter-clockwise, nailing the back of the beast once again. Rushing again, he dealt a multi-uppercut move, and finally finished it off with a clean stab.
Without hesitation, Meta Knight ran to Kirby, who was obviously in some slight pain. "Are you feeling fine?"
The innocent pink puff slowly brought himself to his feet, and was very fortunate to have been sent launching back by the blunt side of the large excalibur. He was still squinting in pain, but was still completely unfazed in his emotion.
"Hm. I take it you're still as strong as ever. You may not even know the reason yourself, but it is obvious to me why you are a Star Warrior." Meta Knight looked to the door again, and lets out a large sword beam, after charging it once again, busting the door wide open. In a whisper, the knight gave the sign. "Kirby. Now!"
With that prompt, the two ran off, entering the large twin doors. It was time to finish what they had come here to do...
===Chapter 3===
The final door to the demon beast was blown to smithereens by the experienced knight's sword beam. Under the cover of the debris and smoke, the two Star Warriors rushed in, side by side.
Meta Knight kept his sword unsheathed, and held it low. "Kirby. Do not let your guard grow weak now."
The pink puff responded by holding the spear that was in his possession down low, in a very similar fashion to Meta Knight.
"Good... Now then, for our final cru--" As he spoke, the masked swordsman felt a searing pain to his side, as he stopped in his tracks and was raised up, and Kirby ran ahead, unaware. "E-ergh...!" He moved to slash his sword, but as it was swung towards the direction of the pain, it was batted away. "Huh...?!"
Then, the source of the actions was finally somewhat visible. It was clear that this creature was of the same species. It had red crimson eyes, showing an equally red rage. As more and more of the light continued to penetrate through the thick clads of smoke, more of this creature's appearance was revealed. A red gem in the shape of a four-pointed star on its head, and two shadow-imbued claws (with one of them currently stabbing into Meta Knight) could be seen. The body was an ominous gray, and the feet were a pure black, with a dullish, red zigzag down the middle of each one; the body also had two dark dashes on each of its cheeks. It was clear, again, that it was one of their species, and yet the lust for blood in its eyes and the devilish grin it bore made it difficult to call this...thing...one of their own.
Slowly, deliberately, the truly demonic creature that had dug its claw into the knight spoke. "Why, hello there, Star Warrior. Hm hm hm..."
"Gah...who, no, what, are you...?" Meta Knight continued to shift and struggle as he was lifted up still by the claw, now beginning to drip with blood. "A-answer me..."
The knight's proposal was answered by a maniacal laugh. "You. Knight. You should know that you're not exactly in a position to give orders now...wouldn't you agree?"
"G-guh...! D-damn...! I can't even..."
"Hm hm hm... Seems you both have kept me from having to make the effort. I'll make sure Kirby joins you in the land of the dead, but first..." He turned his claw slightly, causing Meta Knight to bleed out even faster. "...I'll finish ensuring your own pain and suffering!"
But it seems someone finally realized Meta Knight was missing, and came back around, dealing a heavy kick that caused the demon beast to lose grip of the knight, who fell to the floor, nearly unconscious.
"Gah...!" The demon beast immediately turned to see Kirby. "Ah, so you finally return to save him. Kirby..." The beast's grin only grew. "I will make certain that your death be slow...and painful."
Despite the threat, Kirby's look and expression didn't waver. He ran over to grab Meta Knight's Galaxia, and held it up high, ready to fight.
However, before anything else happened, an oh-so-familiar voice began to makes itself heard...
"Hm hm hm...so this was what all that racket was about... Just a few flies overstaying their welcome." The owner of the voice wasted no time revealing itself, in front of the three. a large grin...horns...a large purple cape covering its body... This thing was none other than the mastermind himself.
"N-Nightmare," the swordsman muttered with whatever strength he still had.
"It seems that a certain knight underestimated my demon beasts. Spur is the greatest being you will ever face, Star Warriors. And there is no chance of success for your kind this time around..."
"W-wait, d-d-don't tell me Spur is the project we were looking to sabotage this w-whole time...!"
“So you finally put two and two together.” He chuckled slightly. “Do what you wish with them, Spur… As long as they end up dead…” With that said, he teleported away, leaving the three once again to themselves.
"Ahahaha...!" Spur began to approach Kirby, who was unwavering. "You still dare to stand in my way like that...?! Do you not fear me yet?" The dark being grinned. "I will show you what true fear really is...!" Suddenly, now, from his slow amble towards the pink puff, he rushed at Kirby at a blinding speed with a solid slash.
Kirby, unable to react in time, took the full blow, getting sent back with a searing pain from a large gash on his left cheek.
"Hm hm hm...! I expected more of you two..." After a quick laugh, Spur lunged after Kirby again.
This time, however, the Star Warrior was prepared, and clashed with the blow effectively, before dealing a spin attack and ending with a clean stab through Spur. He smiled, thinking that he finally had Spur under his whim.
"Ergh...! H-how...are you...?!"
The now-confident Kirby pulled his sword out, still ignoring the gash he suffered, and dealt another series of slashes, with Spur unable to defend properly, ending with a final cutter.
"How...how could you...?!" Spur was taken down, even though it came at a vicious cost with both Kirby and Meta Knight severely hurt. Were the threats really that baseless? Or perhaps, they had still caught Spur at far less than full power...
But none of that matters now. All Kirby had to do now was land the final blow to the incapacitated Spur... He jumped up, and thrusted downward...
...He hit nothing but the ground below.
And then, Spur's voice resonated once again. "Hm hm hm...AHAHAHAHA...! Did you truly think that you would defeat me through those pitiful attempts?! What a joke; now, it is my turn...to instill your fear before removing you from this world...!"
A now very confused Kirby scanned the area around him, not noticing a trace of Spur. He sounded as if he wasn't even hurt in the slightest.
Then, the onslaught began. Spur began his own attack...one that almost guarantees death... At blinding speeds, Spur shot out at Kirby, multiple times, from seemingly random locations, hacking at the pink puff repeatedly with weak hits. After a good fifteen of those, he launched forward at Kirby one more time, this time to finish him off. Confused and disoriented, Kirby didn't even see it coming. Stabbing at the Star Warrior, the demon beast jumped up, and did a double-flip before pressing him on the ground, with Kirby being clearly in agony.
In his pain, Kirby had completely dropped the Galaxia, and now had no way to retaliate in the slightest.
But Meta Knight, slow to get up, knew this was his only chance to get away, at the very least, from the overpowering opponent. He used the last of his energy to run at Spur, grabbing his Galaxia, and dealing a heavy uppercut that caused Spur to leap off of Kirby. Before the demon beast could even look the other way, Meta Knight had taken a barely-conscious Kirby in his arms, and used his Dimensional Cape to teleport away.
"Wha...?!" Spur sat there, emotionless, for a while, pondering, before finally grinning once again. "...Hm. So you escape for now, Star Warriors... But I will follow you. And I will have my sweet victory over you..."
===Chapter 4===
Somehow, after escaping Spur's sights, Meta Knight was able to take Kirby and make his way to where the Halberd was, nearly collapsing at the entrance with a very concerned Blade Knight. "U-ugh...B-Blade Knight...take Kirby and go...!"
Of course, Blade Knight had some doubts. "Hm...? But sir, the mission? Was it a--"
"We've failed, Blade. There is...nothing more we can do...other than await the day he is brought over to Pop Star..."
"...Sir..."
"It's been a pleasure to have had your support for all this time."
"You can't be serious, sir...! Sir Meta Knight, tell me that you have some form of plan!"
"No being in the universe...can stop that monster..."
"Sir, you must be bluffing...!"
"...I wish that were true."
"W-well we can't just give in...! That isn't like you, Sir Meta Knight..." He picked Kirby up, lifting his bloodied body on his left shoulder, and supported Meta Knight with his right arm, making his way slowly inside as the ramp closed off. "Come, now, let us tend to the two of you..."
----
Only a day passed before Meta Knight finally got himself up and walking on his own once again, as the Halberd still circled Nightmare's base. He made his way to the cockpit, and sat down, staring off at the base. "It's only a matter of time before he is deemed ready to devastate Pop Star. Perhaps...he already has..." He sighed, bringing his fist down on the console in front of him. "I cannot believe it...we were just a step too far behind. And now, we are forced to wait...and see."
Sword Knight was sitting at one of the pilot chairs in the room, seeing Meta Knight distraught. "Sir Meta Knight. This is unlike you to give up so soon... Perhaps there's some form of hope."
The masked knight turned around to face Sword Knight, sighing again. "If you were there, witnessing how easily he handled both of us two while treating the whole battle like some sort of game... I wish I could think of anything that would have some ability to even slow him down."
"But we still have time, sir! I'm certain you can think of something!"
"I applaud the loyalty exhibited from the both of you. However, you'll find that, this time, I will have disappointed you."
With that said, Sword Knight stayed put, relatively silent, with her expression obviously one of anxiety, even with her purple armor covering her entirely. She looked out once again to notice something. "...M-Meta Knight, sir...! The base...!"
"Hm?!" He looked over once again, to see a sizable portion of the base blown off by what must've been an extremely powerful explosion. "Wh...what's the meaning of this...?"
"I've not a clue, sir...!"
"Did you strap down explosives while in wait...?!"
"I promise you, sir, that I did not."
"...Hmm." Without a second though, Meta Knight grabbed a hold of the ship's controls and sent the Halberd closer to the affected area. "Perhaps it is for the best...if we..."
As the Halberd slowly approached the base once again, Sword Knight suddenly shot out of her seat, staring intently at...something. "S-sir...! Over to your right...!"
The masked swordsman reacted quickly, turning his gaze over hastily to whatever Sword Knight was staring at. "What is it...?!"
"I-it's...a body, sir...!"
Meta Knight quickly became more alerted by what Sword Knight mentioned. "Is it anyone recognizable?!"
"Not from what I can see...see if you recognize it at all, sir."
The knight once again scrolled around, finally fixing his eyes on an unconscious body floating among the debris.
The body was clearly looking very similar to Spur, with a similar gem, although in a rhombus shape as opposed to a star shape. He had similar marks on each of his cheeks, although he only had one on each cheek. His body was also of a green color, completely contrasting Spur's appearance in that fashion.
After mulling over himself for a considerable while, staring down the body, he gave his answer. "...No, Sword Knight, I do not recognize this body at all."
"Shall we attempt to help this person, sir?"
Meta Knight went completely silent, turning around and closing his eyes in thought. The chances that this would turn badly. The reason to trust that this body is indeed safe to bring on board. The risk of leaving it there...
"...Sir? What do you suggest we do?"
He opened his eyes and turned back to Sword Knight. "...Let us bring this body on board. Place him on an infirmary bed."
"Right, sir. I shall let Blade know, and we will have the body in here in no time."
"I expect nothing less. I shall attempt to steer the ship as close as I can to the body, so be prepared."
"Right, sir." With that final affirmation, Sword Knight nodded to Meta Knight, and ran out rather hurriedly.
With the knight now to his lonesome, he looked out once again at the base, and sighed. "It isn't as if it matters much, anyhow." He slammed his hand on the console again. "It would take nothing short of a miracle for this failure to sabotage Spur to not end disastrously..."
==Trust: Beginning Trials==
Synopsis TBA (a.k.a. I'm lazy)
===Introduction===
A week has passed since the failed sabotage of Project DeathBringer, otherwise known as Spur. Since then, the person who was found unconscious, now named Terra by Meta Knight, has been in stable condition for a few days. Kirby finally regained consciousness a day ago, and was able to walk about freely, although in heavy bandaging. The ship was taking its sweet time heading back to Pop Star, a trip that took something close to two weeks one way. At the very least, it was plenty of time for the two Star Warriors to recover.
Meta Knight entered the infirmary once again, where Kirby stood by the new face, showing an extreme curiosity towards it. "Hm." The swordsman nodded to Kirby, affirming his curiosity. "Not to worry, Kirby. Terra shall awaken soon enough. And then, we'll have answers." He walked up to the bed himself, and looked down at the one he now called Terra. "At the very least, I hope he will. I have many questions myself as to who he really is."
Kirby nodded in affirmation, moving close to the masked knight and snuggling up to him. He looked to Meta Knight with a wanting expression, although it was uncertain exactly what he wanted, given that he couldn't speak a lick of English.
"Now, now, Kirby. Do not fret now. We two are fine, and that is all that matters, correct...?"
The pink puff smiled slightly to Meta Knight, but was somewhat torn inside. Even though he understood Meta Knight's words, he also felt the same uneasiness the knight felt. They both knew what that failure meant, and even Kirby was having a difficult time staying optimistic and keeping that big smile on his face.
However, Kirby was not the only one who noticed the mutual uneasiness between them. "Please...just go to sleep, Kirby. I am certain that you are tired still. Allow me to handle this, and do not begin to worry now."
The young Star Warrior, although hesitant to do so at first, finally began to lean on Meta Knight and relax, soon dozing off into a sound sleep.
"...Hm. It's okay..." The knight wrapped his cape around to cover Kirby, and kept him close, as a parent might keep their own kid close. He then cooed, obviously lying, in the case that Kirby was still ever-so-slightly awake. "I can get us out of this predicament. I can make sure you aren't harmed by that monster again..." He took Kirby in his arms and sat the both of them down on an adjacent bed, still having Kirby wrapped in his cape, which he had now completely taken off and tucked the baby Star Warrior into like a blanket. He continued to whisper, "Everything will be fine. You simply have to trust me..."
===Chapter 1===
Another day passed. The one currently named Terra has only been getting even better, and it is only a matter of time before he awakens.
Both Meta Knight and Kirby watched over this "Terra" person, in hopes of his awakening so they might gain some knowledge on him. Today was the day, it seemed.
...An hour passed with nothing much changing. Few words were spoken, until the green being finally stirred.
"A-ah...! So he finally awakens," Meta Knight muttered, seemingly to himself. He walked to the bedside, awaiting his awakening.
"Urgh..." The being slowly sat himself up, opening his eyes and scanning the space around him.
The masked knight still kept his hand on the Galaxia's hilt, heaven forbid that the person in front of them turned aggressive.
Casually, the green puff now stood himself on the bed, and asked a rather obvious question. "Where...where am I?"
Meta Knight answered the question punctually. "You need not worry about where you are for now." He did not hesitate at all to counter with his own question. "What is your name, if I may ask?"
To that, the being stood there on the bed, rather confused. "My...name?" He hesitated, seemingly thinking for over a minute, before giving an unfulfilling answer. "I didn't think I had a name."
The knight, rather shocked by this answer, nodded calmly to the puff and motioned to Kirby to follow him as he left the room briefly. "Allow me one moment. Please stay still." With that, he exited the infirmary room and closed the door once Kirby followed him out. Standing next to the door, he sighed and wondered what he was to make of this. Perhaps this was a perfect opportunity to at least begin calling him by what he had been named beforehand up to this point, whether he was correct or not. After mulling over what to do for a couple of minutes, he entered the infirmary once again with Kirby. "I apologize for the wait, Terra."
"...Terra?" He looked at the knight curiously. "Is...is that my name?"
Perfect, he really did forget his name, the swordsman thought. "Indeed. I apologize for not having known at first."
Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Terra hopped off the bed and confronted the two up close, seemingly in an isolationist mood. "Well, in that case...I b-believe it would be right to...ask who you two are..."
"I apologize once again." Meta Knight bowed his head slightly, before raising it and extending his hand to Terra. "The name is Meta Knight, and the one beside you is Kirby."
"Right. Nice to meet--"
As Terra attempted to shake Meta Knight's hand, Kirby tackled him to the floor, laughing as he pinned the newcomer down playfully. "Play! Play!" he chanted, before being pushed off by Terra.
"H-hey...! What's your deal...?!" Terra picked himself up and dusted himself off, already rather annoyed by the pink puff beside him.
Kirby, however, once again rushed up to him, hugging him and hopping up and down rather excitedly.
"Bah...!" Terra, who was now wrapped up in Kirby's arms, tried to wriggle out. "S-stop it...!"
"Hm hm..." Meta Knight finally came in and intervened, pulling Kirby off the green puff. "Now, now, Terra. He cannot exactly speak, so he expresses through actions such as that. I suppose...he is happy to meet you."
"...No kidding," Terra answered, rather distantly in a way. "Thanks, I guess. Now can I head back to where I was?"
The knight mused for a while before answering. "...Interesting. Might you know where you were before? Because we found you unconscious, floating in space."
"U-uh, I, um, don't know." Terra bowed his head down, fairly embarrassed by the fact that he didn't seem to remember a thing.
"Seems you are suffering from amnesia, hm...? I suggest you stay with us for now. Perhaps you will recover from it eventually."
"Hm? S-stay...with you?"
"Well, might you have a better idea?"
Terra gave a noticeable hesitation before his answer, which came out rather dry. "No, I don't. Why would I?"
"Then there you have it." Meta Knight nodded his head. "At the very least, one of us two has acclamated to you." He motioned over to Kirby, who was already standing far too close behind Terra.
"Hm?" The green puff turned around, only to see the juvenile Star Warrior staring right at him, which cause him to jump back, startled. "A-AH...! Personal space, please...!"
In response, Kirby simply cheered, as he motioned to hug again.
Meta Knight simply chuckled as he watched. "No force in the universe can keep him from loving to the point of annoyance..."
"Y-you sure you can't stop him with anything...?!" Terra continued to shift slightly away from Kirby. "I-I'm not exactly feeling comfortable with him like this...!"
The knight gave a brief sigh, before grasping Kirby slightly. "Kirby, please allow him to be with himself for a while. He is currently not feeling well."
The pink puff attempted to struggle out of the swordsman's grip somewhat, but eventually stopped, frowning somewhat.
"Geez, just keep him off me for a while at least, will ya?"
"Hm hm hm...I'll try my best, Terra. There is only so much I can do to keep him from having his fun." Meta Knight gave a slight laugh.
Terra quickly panicked, jumping a bit and giving the knight a confrontational glare. "Wh-what?! You think this is funny?!"
Almost right on cue after the green being finished speaking, Kirby then began to laugh himself, in his innocent, naïve nature.
The green puff simply sighed as he spoke. "F-fine, be like that!" And with that, he stormed out of the room, before either of the two Star Warriors could react.
===Chapter 2===
Angrily, Terra continued to walk through the long, vast, and empty halls of the Halberd, not really understanding where he was going, but not exactly caring, either. "Who am I, exactly? Who exactly are they? Why am I like some kind of joke to them?"
"Hm, I did not realize you had awoken, Terra."
The somewhat feminine voice, coming from somewhere nearby, startled the puff, who didn't believe anyone else to be around in this empty vessel. "Wh-wha...?!" He quickly scanned his surroundings, getting in a very hasty and obviously unfit fighting stance. "Who's there?! Show yourself?!"
"Now, now, there. Calm yourself down, child. I won't--"
"Who're you calling child?!"
"I told you. Please calm down." With that said, the one talking revealed herself from the shadows. It was Sword Knight, as always in her purple armor, covering her from head to toe.
"H-huh...?" Terra let his guard down slightly, keeping his gaze heavy on the purple knight.
"Better, at least." The knight attempted once again to approach him. "I don't believe we've met, however."
Terra rolled his eyes. "And yet you know my name? Sure. Can I at least, uh, ask you your name?"
"Why, of course." Sword Knight bowed slightly, and extended a hand to Terra. "How insincere of me to not introduce myself. My name is Sword Knight. I am one of Sir Meta Knight's subordinates. T’is a pleasure to meet you."
The green puff shook her hand hesitantly, and silently.
"You don't seem to want to speak much, do you?"
"Why would I? I don't even know what I am." After stating that, Terra quickly began to walk away.
However, the purple-clad knight rushed up to him, not wishing to be left just yet. "Wait, just a moment, please."
"Wh-what?" Terra, once again, turned around to the knight. "What's with you? What do you want?"
"Well, someone seems rather annoyed so soon. I simply wish to talk to you some. Are you feeling well?"
"I'm alive, but I have no memory whatsoever. I don't know. You decide."
"Rather insensitive, are you?"
"I don't feel like talking right now, alright...?"
The green puff tried to push the knight away and walk off again, but Meta Knight suddenly comes into vision. "Well well, what might we have here? I was afraid you had tried to run off completely."
"No, I just wanted to, uh, look around, y'know." Under some pressure, it was clear that Terra was lying.
"Please, you can't fool me like that. It's clear you were running off. However, it's more than understandable. I only ask that you stay with us for now. Please."
After a good while of hesitation, Terra finally answered with a question. "Why should I?"
"I thought this was already clear. It is not as if you know where you 'should' or 'shouldn't' be."
"B-but...I know I shouldn't be here...!"
"Then tell me...where should you be?"
"W-well, I don't know, but--"
Meta Knight, however was quick to interrupt. "I promise you. We'll take you back to your home when you remember. For now, please, do not force your memory."
With yet another hesitation, the green puff at least answered this time with a quiet, but audible voice. "F-fine, sir."
"Thank you." The swordsman bowed his head down. "Terra, I promise you once again that I will take you back."
"I get it, I get it," he stated, annoyed. "It's not like I have any better a choice."
"Still stubborn, hm?" Meta Knight gave a slight chuckle, and placed a hand on Terra. "Shall we head back to the infirmary room, then?"
"I-I'd rather not. I really don't want to see that other one again, what was his name...?"
"Kirby."
"Right, him. I really don't want him around for right now."
"I understand, Terra. I apologize for him, because he only means the best of intentions."
"I don't care right now, Meta Knight. Can you just please keep him away from me?"
"As you wish." He hesitated slightly. "Here," he requested, walking over to one of the nearby rooms, which was a small, two-bed dorm room, "come with me and take a seat." He sat down on the bed closest to the entrance.
Terra followed suit, sitting right beside Meta Knight on that same bed. "Th-thanks."
"So tell me, Terra. Have you remembered anything yet?"
"N-no, not really."
"Very well." Meta Knight turned away from Terra, and stared off towards the back wall. "Please, do not feel rushed. Memories will return to you naturally, and you should not try to quicken your recovery forcefully."
"B-but, I just feel like I'm not supposed to be here..."
The green puff's response invoked an unusual hesitation in Meta Knight's answer. "What exactly do you mean by that, Terra? This is now the second time you've mentioned such a thing."
"U-um, it's nothin'. Nothing at all." Terra's gaze shifted about as he mentioned that, as his entire body was seeming more and more paranoid.
"Are you feeling ill? Please, lie down, if it will allow you to relax. We do not wish for you to feel as you are now."
Terra remained silent for a notable while, until, finally, he sighed and lied himself down, closing his eyes.
"Hm. You seem tired, I see." The knight gave a quick chuckle. "Please, it's safe here. I promise." He then placed his hand on Terra's forehead, stroking it slightly. "You'll be safe here always, or, so help me..."
===Chapter 3===
A few hours passed, with the masked Star Warrior and green puff left completely undisturbed. Terra was still sound asleep, and Meta Knight continued to sit beside him, keeping him close and slightly covered by his cape. He continued to think to himself, slightly aloud. "Hm, I still wonder who he is, anyhow. We've been to the base before, and never has anyone in his likeness shown up. My own process of elimination...it could only mean that he--"
"Figured it out, have you sir?" The green armored knight walked in, bowing his head slightly. "I didn't wish for it to be true, either. But, it seems he is exactly who we think he is."
"How certain could this assumption be, I wonder? He must be that beast, given his likeness. However, he has yet to reveal it."
"I would be wary, Sir Meta Knight. This may be yet another ploy by Nightmare, as you have probably gathered."
"I am aware, Blade Knight. You need not remind me of such." Meta Knight gave a brief sigh. He knew of the risk well enough at this point. "Even I am not certain as to what would be the most admirable course of action. What do you believe we should do, then?"
"I, sir? I am merely bearing the news. It is your decision, sir, and I will follow your order as I have all others, through thick and through thin."
"Your loyalty is noted, Blade Knight. However, I am ordering for your opinion on this matter, if you would please comply."
Meta Knight's response was surprisingly met with a sigh from his loyal follower. "If you wish for my opinion, it shall be as you command. However, it...is not favorable for Terra."
"From that remark alone, I can tell what you wish of our course of action." With that, Meta Knight sighted, but continued to keep Terra close."I must apologize, Blade Knight, but I cannot fulfill your request."
"S-sir...!" The green knight moved slightly closer to the two.
“I cannot be certain of this, and spilling potentially innocent blood is something I am not willing to do.”
“Are you certain this will not end poorly…?”
“No, I am not.”
This answer was met with hesitation from Blade Knight. “V-very well.”
“Please, understand.” Meta Knight steadily began lying him on the bed, off of his own body, and tucking him gently in the covers. Sighing, he walked out of the room, and looked to Kirby, who was waiting patiently just by the doorway. "Kirby, please leave him be for now. He is distraught still, and needs rest." He then proceeded to walk away from the door, back to the cockpit to continue navigating back to Pop Star.
---
Meta Knight came walking calmly into the cockpit, with Sword Knight already waiting inside.
"So you finally have gotten Terra under control?" Sword Knight began walking towards the masked knight.
"Yes, indeed I have. He is currently resting."
"Hm? Is that so? So soon after he awoke from his spell of unconsciousness?"
"Terra was still rather exhausted. Whatever had happened to him before we had found him must have been rather extreme."
"I...see."
"It does make one think, however. What form of injury was he suffering from that has caused such a great level of exhaustion...?"
"I am not certain if there is such a thing we have witnessed before, sir."
“Very well. Just keep him under a bit of surveillance.”
“We will do just that, sir.”
“Good.” Meta Knight looked out and sighed slightly. “We will be reaching Pop Star in a matter of hours. I will try to ascertain a low-key landing, to avoid any unnecessary attention.”
“I will find and watch over Terra, then.” With that, Sword Knight walked past the masked knight and out the door.
“I wonder,” he mused, “what sort of devilry this will turn into…”
To be continued...
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