Archive of Our Own ^beta

With Meta Knight’s revolution thwarted and his battleship at the bottom of the sea, it wasn’t a hugely great time to be his subordinate.

Thankfully, they’d all made it out alive, and it seemed the king didn’t intend to punish them, which was somewhat uncharacteristic of him. He was arrogant, stubborn, and often hot-headed, so it surprised the knights that King Dedede didn’t seem to be addressing the revolution at all.

In fact, that wasn’t the only odd thing. Meta Knight seemed to be even more reclusive than usual, staying away from his crew. So when he would come and talk to them, the Meta-Knights would watch eagerly, trying to gauge their leader’s demeanour.

He approached them while they were working on building a new Halberd.

“Sir!” Sailor Waddle Dee cried, the first to notice him.

Upon hearing their cry, the other knights all turned to face him.

“...Hello,” Meta replied, sounding strained.

“Everything's coming along well, sir! At this rate, we'll be done in no time, and the Battleship Halberd will be better than ever!”

“That's good to hear.”

“Is there anything you need, sir?” Sword asked.

“Anything at all, sir,” Blade added.

Meta stared back at them, seemingly pondering his answer. 

“We can make adjustments,” Trident suggested.

“It is fine,” Meta replied.

There was a pregnant pause as his answer hung in the air. Then, Captain Vul stepped forward. 

“I'm sorry, sir.”

“Sorry? Why are you sorry?”

Lifting an arm, Vul pulled the hat off his head and held it against his chest. “We’ve disappointed you. As captain, I feel it is my duty to apologise.”

With Vul’s words, every knight bowed their head in shame. Sailor doffed their hat as well, following the lead of their captain.

Meta’s eyes widened a little. “No. You haven’t disappointed me.”

“...Sir?”

“You all followed me loyally and diligently. You gave me your best, the best a leader could ask for. If there is anyone I am disappointed in…” He closed his eyes. “It's me.”

“But, Sir Meta Knight…” Axe began.

“Why would you be disappointed in yourself?” Javelin asked. “It’s our failure that lost us the revolution.”

“It’s our fault,” Mace said sadly.

He shook his head. “It is my failure, for I am the fool that tried to overthrow Dream Land. And I fear…”

He trailed off, not finishing the sentence.

“What, sir?” Sailor asked cautiously.

“...Never mind. It's folly anyway.”

With that, he turned and departed, leaving the knights confused and concerned.

When he got far enough out of earshot, Sailor turned to their friends. “He hasn’t been the same since he fought Galacta Knight. First that, then trying to take over Dream Land…”

“I know,” Vul replied, putting his hat back on. “And now he’s sad and pensive. It’s a crying shame, is what it is. He may have won the battle, but it didn’t solve anything.”

“No… it really didn’t.” Sailor held their hat in their hands and squeezed it. “What happened to Galacta Knight… getting sealed away… what if the same thing were to happen to Sir? I mean, he beat Galacta Knight, so doesn’t that make him more powerful than the greatest warrior in the galaxy?”

“Don’t worry yourself, Sailor,” Vul consoled, patting them on the head. “That’s not going to happen. And anyway, we have a ship to build.”

They put their hat back on. “You’re right, Captain. Let’s get back to work.”

“Wait,” Trident interjected. “We need materials over here. Screws, nails, nuts, bolts...”

“Oh, no,” Javelin rebutted. “Last time I went, all the king’s Waddle Dees gave me the side eye.”

“But King Dedede hasn’t banned us,” said Sailor. “He’s even letting us rebuild the Halberd. Well, he hasn’t come and complained or picked a fight or anything. It’s not like he wouldn’t know, what with all the resources we need.”

Mace tapped his hand against his armour thoughtfully. “What we need is someone who blends in, catches less attention, while we wait for this to all… blow over.”

“Blow over? You think this is just going to blow over?”

“Sir and His Majesty were friends before. Maybe once everything settles down, they’ll go back to being friends…?”

“Just like that?! I don’t even think they’ve talked to each other since!” Sailor exclaimed, waving their arms emphatically. “Day in, day out, Sir mopes around, and he doesn’t want to let it on, but I know he misses the king. We need to get them in the same room and get them to talk to each other!”

“We’re trying to build a battleship, not fix a relationship,” Vul chided. “There’s only so much we can do. We can’t force Sir Meta Knight to do anything. He’ll come to us if he wants our advice on his relationship with King Dedede like he comes to us for advice on other things. We just have to wait.”

Sailor hung their head.

“...What I was getting at,” Mace said after a moment, “is that you should go get the materials, Sailor.”

“Huh? Me?” They looked up, surprised. “Why me?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You’re a Waddle Dee. You’ll fit right in!”

“But I’m not just any Waddle Dee! I’m Sailor Waddle Dee! See?” they insisted, gesturing to their hat. 

“ We know that! But if you take off your hat, you’ll look like any other Waddle Dee, and they won’t know the difference as long as you keep up the façade.”

“...Huh. That actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

And so, Sailor, divested of their signature hat, headed into town and away from the outskirts of Dream Land where the Meta-Knights were taking refuge. All in all, Mace Knight’s plan was going well, except for one small thing. The great majority of people Sailor ran into while gathering materials didn’t bat an eye, but there was one Waddle Dee who happened to recognise them.

“Do you need a hand?” A voice asked from behind them.

Sailor, who was hauling bags of small yet heavy metal materials, turned to look at who it was. “Eep!” Bandana!

Upon seeing their reaction, Bandana Waddle Dee tilted his head. “Hey. Don’t I know you?”

“No! I mean, yes! I mean, no!” Sailor floundered. Why am I doing this?! Pull yourself together, Sailor! “I have to go!”

They turned and made to leave, but Bandana had caught on. “Wait a minute… Sailor? Is that you?”

“Ack!” Busted!  

Despite knowing they couldn’t get far with the bags, Sailor was still ready to start running.

“Wait, don’t go! Please!” Bandana implored.

The urgency in his voice was so profound it caused Sailor to stop. They stared at him cautiously.

“...How’s Meta Knight?”

Huh? Why is he asking that…? Sailor wondered. “He’s… he’s not himself. He’s sad. ”

“The king’s the same,” Bandana cried, waving his arms for emphasis. “And he won’t admit it, but I know he misses Meta Knight.”

“That’s what I said!” Sailor exclaimed, letting go of their bags and waving their arms as well. “But in reverse! Sir Meta Knight misses King Dedede! But it’s like he just won’t…”

“...Talk to him?” offered Bandana, finishing their sentence.

“Exactly! And he doesn’t even want to talk to us about it.” They hung their head.

Bandana hung his head as well. “It’s the same with His Majesty.” 

“I want to do something, to help him… but I’m just one silly little Waddle Dee.” Sailor kicked the air dejectedly. “What can I even do?”

“I know how that feels,” Bandana sighed. 

The two were silent for a moment as they contemplated the complicated situation between their superiors. 

“...Hey, how come you aren’t wearing your hat?” Bandana asked after a moment.

Sailor’s eyes widened. “Oh, I was, uh… trying not to be recognised.”

“Ah. Well, I didn’t recognise you at first,” Bandana said sheepishly. “So it wasn’t a bad disguise. Or lack of disguise, I guess.”

“It was one of my friends’ ideas,” Sailor explained. “He said I’d look just like any other Waddle Dee if I took it off.”

“Haha, yeah.” Bandana pulled his bandana off. “That’s why I wear this. …Actually, it was a gift from His Majesty.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah. He took me in when I was just a baby, and I’ve lived in the castle ever since. I’ve always been loyal to him ‘cause he’s really a good guy, even if he’s a little tough on the outside.”

“Heh. I feel the same way about Sir Meta Knight,” said Sailor. “He took me in as a baby, too. He and the Meta-Knights are my family.”

“Wow. I didn’t know that. …That’s real nice of him,” Bandana said softly. “...Meta Knight and King Dedede really do got some things in common, don’t they?”

“They do. That’s probably why they were friends.”

“Mmm.” He looked at the fabric in his hands. “Oh, yeah. Well, eventually, when I got old enough, His Majesty promoted me to head servant, and this was my gift. The other Dees started calling me ‘Bandana Waddle Dee’, and I liked it, so it’s my name now.”

“Sir gave me my hat,” Sailor replied. “And it’s basically the same with me. It’s a sailor hat, and I’m a sailor, so I started getting called ‘Sailor Waddle Dee’.”

“Heh. Funny how much impact these little hats had, huh?”

“I know, right?”

Bandana went silent for a moment, just staring at his bandana. 

Did I say something wrong? 

“Wait.”

“Huh?” Sailor asked, surprised.

“I’ve just gotten a crazy idea.”

“What’s that?”

He looked up at Sailor. “We switch places.”

They blinked at him. “...What?”

“We switch places! You pretend to be me, and I pretend to be you!”

“Wh-why?!”

“Don’tcha see?!” Bandana asked excitedly. “We switch places and switch hats, right?”

“Yeah?” 

“And then we go back to each other’s homes, and we lie low for a bit, or at least until we’re found out,” he continued.

“Yeah, but what’s that supposed to do?”

“King Dedede and Meta Knight can’t just send us back and expect us to switch back. We could just pretend we switched back and keep trying to fool them. So that means…!”

Sailor shook their head. “I don’t follow.”

“They have to switch us back themselves! Which means they’ll have to see each other again, and they’ll have to talk things out!”

“But why would that make them talk things out, Bandana?” Sailor interrogated. “They could just as easily not say a word to each other.”

“We’ll make them talk to each other,” Bandana rebutted. “When they find us out, we’ll tell them why we did this and that they miss each other and wanna be friends again. They can’t just ignore that.”

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not! Just trust me on this, Sailor! Please?” 

The imploring look in his shining eyes was enough to make Sailor cave. “Oh, fine. ”

“Yes!” Bandana pumped the air with his fist. “We’ve got this!”

“But you can’t just pretend to be me with no practice. Nor I you,” Sailor pointed out. “And I’m expected back before sunset, so we don’t have very much time…”

“Hey, if Kirby can beat anyone and everyone, we can pretend to be each other for a couple days. Right?”

Sailor nodded. “I suppose you’re right.” They held their hand out to shake.

“Yeah!” Bandana took it and shook it eagerly.

Just as dusk fell, Bandana made it back to the camp where the Meta-Knights were staying, complete with the materials Sailor had been sent to collect. Boy, I hope this plan works.

“There you are! What took you so long?!” Trident exclaimed.

“Sorry, there was this, uh, whole lineup for… materials,” Bandana lied. He quickly dragged the bags over to where Trident was.

“Are you alright?” Vul immediately asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Whuh?” They’re onto me already?! “I’m totally fine.”

“If you say so, Sailor. But I know you were pretty upset earlier. That’s got nothing to do with your tardiness, right?”

“Nothing at all.” Seeing Sailor’s hat nearby, Bandana quickly grabbed it and put it on, hoping it would make him more convincing.

“Hmph.” Vul folded his arms. “Well, construction’s done for the night. We’re getting up early tomorrow, so everyone needs to be asleep at a reasonable time!” 

“Yes, Captain!” the knights responded diligently.

“Yes, Captain!” Bandana echoed a little off-cue. 

Meanwhile, at Castle Dedede, Sailor donning Bandana’s bandana went to do as the lead servant would always do—make a courtesy call.

But the king wasn’t on his throne or in the dining hall. Maybe he’s already gone to bed, Sailor considered.

“Bandana!” 

“Yeep!” Sailor turned around, startled, only to see another Waddle Dee. “Oh, uh, hello.”

She tilted her head to the side. “What’s the matter?”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Sailor replied, trying to seem nonchalant.

“You seemed a little scared.”

“Nah, of course not,” they bluffed. “I’m just looking for His Majesty.”

“Oh, he’s gone to sleep,” the Waddle Dee informed. 

“Right, right. Thank you for telling me. …I’m kind of tired myself, to be honest,” Sailor thought aloud. They’d all be going to bed around now… Since King Dedede’s asleep, surely I don’t have to stay up late…

“You seemed very busy today. His Majesty was wondering where you were.”

Eep! “Was he mad?” Sailor asked worriedly.

She shook her head. “He’s been too sad to be mad. Poor King Dedede…”

“Oh, no…” The king… I wonder what he’s going to be like when I see him.

“Ah, I’m sorry!” the Waddle Dee suddenly cried. “You said you were tired, and I’m here stopping you from getting some rest!”

“No, no, don’t be sorry!” Sailor waved their hands. “It’s alright!”

“I’ll be going now, Bandana!” She waved her hands back before rushing off, presumably to the servant’s quarters.

“Oh, goodnight!” Sailor called after her. 

The sun rose over Dream Land, bathing it in its warm, golden glow and waking up the Meta-Knights.

Around him, Bandana heard various groans as the knights pulled themselves out of their makeshift beds on the grass. 

“Alright, time to eat,” Captain Vul grumbled as he put his hat on.

They all had some rations, which were less than usual due to the state of the Halberd and their current inability to store more food, which left Bandana missing the royal breakfasts he got to take part in at the castle. I hope Sailor’s having fun, he thought wryly as he tucked into some melon slices.

Then, immediately after breakfast was done, the knights continued their project of rebuilding the Halberd. Thankfully, Bandana wasn’t completely out of his element, as he knew how to build and make things, but a battleship was new. Of course, he couldn’t let the others know that, lest he blow his cover. 

“We haven’t seen Sir Meta Knight today,” he observed, trying to sound like Sailor.

“I hope he’s eaten something,” Sword said a little sadly.

“Let’s focus on the ship,” Vul commanded. “The quicker we work, the quicker we have a home again.”

“Yes, Captain,” the knights and Bandana replied in unison.

In the castle, Sailor was woken up by the sunbeams streaming through the window of Bandana’s quarters. It was a small room, but it was relatively cosy. It had a bed and some things strewn about, presumably Bandana’s belongings. Whatever things I had went down with the ship, they lamented as they looked around. The most prominently displayed thing was a photo frame with a photo of him and King Dedede, the latter grinning broadly and the former holding his arms out in the air.

Awww… that’s sweet. …Ah! I shouldn’t be meandering around in here! they realised. I need to get going!

The food was set out on the table in the dining hall by servants, who greeted Sailor brightly. Bandana had told them that he usually sat close to Dedede, so Sailor took the seat closest to the king’s.

Where is he? Sailor wondered, waiting for him to arrive before they ate. It would be rude not to, especially in the presence of royalty, but all the delicious-looking food was making them hungry.

Sure enough, the king trudged into the dining hall, looking and seeming much different than the pompous and brazen monarch Sailor knew. He was wearing his robe, but his crown wasn’t on his head. Instead, he was carrying it, and with it, he carried a weary, downtrodden air.

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Sailor greeted graciously.

“Mornin’,” Dedede mumbled. He took his seat at the table and looked at the plate of food but didn’t seem interested in it.

“Is something wrong? Are you not hungry?”

Dedede blinked a couple of times before turning to look at Sailor with narrowed eyes. “You sound different, Bandana.”

He’s onto me! “Do I?” they replied, feigning ignorance. 

“...Maybe it’s just my imagination.” He looked back at the plate and lazily stabbed at his food with his fork. 

“Are you alright, sire?” Sailor probed.

“I’ve seen better days, I’ll tell you that.”

“Are you ill?”

He looked at the Waddle Dee again, confused. “You never say ill. You always say sick. What’s goin’ on?”

“I-I thought I’d branch out my, er, vocabulary?” tried Sailor.

A sorrowful look came over the king’s face as he turned back to his plate, playing with his food instead of eating it.

“I-I’m sorry, sire, I didn’t mean to… upset you…”

“Nah. It’s not your fault. You just reminded me of…”

Sir Meta Knight? Sailor thought.

“...Never mind.”

As the day progressed, Bandana marvelled at how quickly the new Halberd was being built. The Meta-Knights were working remarkably hard, but he couldn’t help but think that the job could use more hands. A lot more hands. Maybe if my plan works, His Majesty will lend some of his servants to help rebuild the ship, Bandana thought hopefully.

He worked diligently, taking on small jobs like hammering nails in and screwing bolts on, things that were marginally easier for him. The sun was high in the sky when it was decided that they should break for lunch.

“Lunch time!” Vul announced. 

“Woo!”

“Yeah!”

Putting down their tools, the crew all gathered around to tuck into whatever rations they had. It was at this point that their leader decided to join them.

“Sir Meta Knight!” Axe gasped.

“We didn’t see you at breakfast,” Mace pointed out.

“I wasn’t hungry,” Meta replied. 

Wow. There really is something off about him, Bandana noticed. He was subdued and hesitant, quite unlike the proud and fierce knight Bandana had come to know.

After a moment, Meta sat with them, though he didn’t seem to be there to eat anything, instead just joining his knights for the company.

I should say something. “How you feeling, Sir Meta Knight? You okay?”

Meta had had a faraway look in his eyes, staring off into the distance. But as soon as he heard the Waddle Dee’s words, he immediately gave him a piercing stare. “That’s peculiar.”

“What’s peculiar?”

“The way you said that, Sailor.” Meta’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not normally how you speak.”

…Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, Bandana reconsidered. “Ah, uh, well… I, y’know. I hung out with the other Dees—I mean, Waddle Dees—yesterday when I, er, went to get the material things Mace wanted, and they rubbed off on me, I guess?”

All eyes were on him, and for a moment, Bandana was very sure that he’d blown his cover.

Then, Meta looked down at the grass beneath him, and even though he was wearing his mask, Bandana could see his sadness.

“Aw, Sir, I’m sorry,” he apologised, unsure what to do. “I-I dunno what I said wrong, but I’m sorry.”

Meta shook his head. “You said nothing wrong. The way you said that just made me think of…”

King Dedede?

“...No. Forget it.”

Sailor knew that Dream Land was a lazy kingdom with a lackadaisical king, especially considering that that was the reason why Meta Knight wanted to revolt. But even this seemed out of the ordinary.

They had stood at Dedede’s side since breakfast, beside him while he sat on his throne and moped. He’d done nothing but mope, not even overlook official documents that members of the Waddle Dee government would bring him. In fact, no one had come to visit at all. It was just Sailor and the other servants, with the rest of them coming and going.

“Do you… do you need me to do anything for you, sire?” Sailor asked.

He shook his head.

“What about a snack? Something to eat?”

He shrugged.

He doesn’t even have an appetite… that’s frightening. “Your Majesty, please. I’m… concerned.”

“...It ain’t nothin’. Don’t worry about it.”

It’s not nothing, Sailor thought miserably, but they didn’t know what to do.

“I might just go to sleep,” Dedede thought aloud. “I got nothin’ to be awake for. Unless there’s somethin’ you wanted to tell me.”

“Something I wanted to tell you? I can’t think of anything,” they lied.

“Hm. Alright, then. Sleep it is.”

Soon, the sun began to set, and with it came an end to the work for the day. It was time for the Meta-Knights to wrap up and go to bed.

“Good work today, team,” Vul praised with a smile. “We’ve earned this rest.”

“I can’t wait until we have actual beds to sleep in,” Blade remarked. “I never knew how much I took a bed for granted until we lost the ship.”

“That’s just how it goes. You don’t know what you have until you lose it,” Javelin said sagely.

“Yeah, yeah, that old saying, we’ve all heard it,” Trident retorted. “No need to philosophise.”

“I’m not philosophising. That’s not what that is.”

“Whatever it’s called, then.”

“What, quoting an old adage?” 

“Trident, Javelin,” Meta said in a reprimanding tone. 

“Sorry, sir,” they apologised in unison.

“It’s not me you have to apologise to.”

Trident nodded. “Sorry, Javelin. I just miss having a bed. Sleeping on the floor is getting old.”

“I miss it, too,” Javelin agreed. “Sorry, Trident.”

Meta nodded approvingly before turning to Bandana. “Sailor.”

Bandana, who had been watching the back and forth between Trident and Javelin with mild interest, was startled. “Whuh?!”

“May I speak with you for a moment?”

“Oh, uh, okay. I mean, yes, sir.”

He followed the knight away from the rest of the crew. Meta seemed to be taking him out of earshot, presumably to speak in private. Oh boy. Am I in trouble?

“I must say,” Meta began, not facing him, “I wasn’t expecting to see you come back in Sailor’s place, Bandana.”

“You figured it out already?!” Bandana exclaimed, beside himself.

Meta turned around and gave him an unimpressed look. “I raised Sailor from when they were a baby. I can tell the difference between them and other Waddle Dees.”

“Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. Well, I guess His Majesty musta realised by now that Sailor isn’t me. Unless he can’t tell the difference…”

“He’s not stupid. He raised you from a baby just as I raised Sailor. He’ll have figured it out by now,” Meta asserted. 

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right.”

“So, you swapped places. And hats. To what end?”

“We ran into each other yesterday,” Bandana began, pulling off Sailor’s hat and fidgeting with it in his hands. “We ended up talking about you and King Dedede. We’re worried about you guys. The king’s not himself, and you aren’t either, at least from what I know and what Sailor told me.”

Meta’s eyes widened.

“He misses you, Meta Knight,” Bandana implored. “So me and Sailor agreed to switch places in the hopes of making you two see each other again. ‘Cause you’ve gotta switch us back yourselves.”

“And why do we have to do that?”

“Well, if you send us to do it alone, we might just not.” He shrugged. “I know I can’t fool you for long, but you won’t be a hundred per cent sure that you’ve got Sailor back till you can see them in front of you.”

Meta considered it. “...Touché. Well, we will make the trip tomorrow. Tonight, you’ll stay here.”

“Okay. Thanks for letting me stay, Meta Knight,” he said gratefully.

It was bedtime at the castle, and Sailor was getting ready to sleep. As they tucked themselves into bed, they thought about the makeshift camp back where they and the Meta-Knights were staying. Poor Bandana. Going from such a comfy bed to that. …And that’ll be me when we get swapped back. Maybe the captain will let us start building the beds ahead of time…

Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door. 

“Who is it?” Sailor called, curious.

“The king,” Dedede answered. “I gotta talk to you.”

Eep! “C-coming, sire!” 

They leapt out of bed and rushed to open the door. 

King Dedede towered over them, an inscrutable look on his face.

“What is it, Your Majesty?”

“I know you ain’t Bandana,” he said simply.

Yeep!

“You’re Meta’s Dee, ain’tcha? Sailor.”

They nodded slowly. “Y-yes, Your Majesty.”

“You gonna tell me why you’re here pretendin’ to be Bandana?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” they repeated, pulling off Bandana’s bandana. “We, the Meta-Knights, are rebuilding the Battleship Halberd. Yesterday, one of my friends suggested I come to get some nails and screws and etcetera.”

The king nodded. “Keep goin’.”

“W-well,” Sailor continued, “I ran into Bandana, and we spoke about our concerns about you and Sir Meta Knight. He’s been so mopey and sad, and Bandana told me you’d not been yourself either, sire… I know Sir misses you, and he’s sorry. We wanted to get you to talk to each other again. Bandana came up with the switch idea.”

“Heh,” Dedede chuckled. “Sounds like somethin’ he’d come up with. Don’t know why he thought it’d work. I knew somethin’ was off straight away.”

“How’d you know?”

“‘Cause I know, kid. I know my Dees, and outta all of them, I know Bandana the best. I raised him, didn’t I? ‘Course I could tell the difference.” He grinned wryly. “Besides, you sound like Meta. It was a dead giveaway. Bet he picked up on it, too. No way he can’t tell the difference between Bandana and you.”

“...You’re right. I’m not just any Waddle Dee, after all.”

He placed his hands on his hips. “‘Course not. You’re Sailor and Bandana’s Bandana. And, of course I’m right, I’m the king! Hahaha!” 

Sailor couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. “Heeheehee!”

“Anyway, how’s switchin’ places s’posed to make us start talkin’ again? I don’t get it.”

“Well, we have to switch back eventually, right?”

Dedede nodded. “Right.”

“And how are you going to know that we’ve really switched if you don’t oversee it yourself? If Bandana and I go alone, we could just come back like this and pretend again, even if we can’t trick you and Sir twice.”

“...Ah. I see your point.”

That really was a smart idea, Sailor realised.

He let out a loud yawn. “It’s too late, and I’m too tired to do it tonight, so we’re doin’ it tomorrow. Go hit the hay, will you?”

Sailor nodded vigorously. “Yes, Your Majesty!”

Tomorrow came, and the sun rose on Dream Land. With it, the king and the knight set out with the two Waddle Dees. 

The walk began at dawn, bright and early, which surprised Sailor specifically because King Dedede did not seem the type to be early to rise. Then again, Meta Knight was, and Dedede knew that, so perhaps that was the reason. 

It wasn’t long before they spotted each other in the distance. 

Sailor couldn’t help themselves and waved excitedly. “Bandana! Sir!”

Bandana followed suit, waving back. “Hey, Sailor! Good morning, Your Majesty!”

“You got a lotta nerve pullin’ this kinda trick on me, kid!” Dedede called, cupping his hands around his beak to amplify his voice. While his words were harsh, he couldn’t keep the pride out of his voice or the grin off of his face.

“What a nice way to greet your loyal servant!” Meta yelled back sarcastically.

“Rich, comin’ from you!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

They drew closer, and yet their voices didn’t decrease in volume. Bandana and Sailor winced in unison. 

“You don’t have to yell…” Sailor said reproachfully.

“Er, right.”

“Ahem.”

All fell silent as Dedede and Meta looked at each other, clearly at a loss for words that weren’t barbs to throw at each other. While they had always had a friendship full of banter, now was not the best time for it.

“Well, go on, then.” Dedede beckoned to Bandana with his hand. “C’mere.”

Meta gestured to Sailor as well. “Sailor.”

The two Waddle Dees went up to each other and exchanged hats.

“Do you really think this is going to work?” Sailor whispered.

“...I dunno, to be honest,” confessed Bandana.

“Bandana!” they hissed.

“Let’s just hope for the best! C’mon!”

“Enough whisperin’. We can hear you, y’know.”

“His Majesty is right. We came here for an express purpose,” Meta concurred.

They quickly returned to their respective leaders.

“Hey, look, you’ve got some common ground already, heheh,” Bandana said weakly, replacing his bandana on his head.

“We went to all this effort…” Sailor murmured, putting their hat back on.

King Dedede folded his arms and looked off to the side.

Meta Knight stared pointedly at the ground.

“C’mon, please ,” Bandana begged.

Sailor joined in as well. “Please, sir, Your Majesty… talk to each other.”

“ Alright , alright!” Dedede caved, throwing his hands in the air. “I just can’t have this… this serious conversation with you two listenin’ in to every word. Some things are private, y’know.”

Meta nodded. “I concur. As much as the both of you seem to have made it your mission to meddle with our relationship, it is our business and not yours, so I suggest that for this, you butt out .”

“But… where are we supposed to go?” Bandana asked, looking around.

“Over there.” Dedede pointed to where a couple of trees were, a decent distance away. 

“Yes. You should be out of earshot there,” agreed Meta.

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, sire.”

Bandana and Sailor waddled away and sat under the tree, still staring at the two of them.

Turning their backs, the king and the knight faced away from the Waddle Dees and stood side by side, next to each other.

“They’re gonna watch us the whole time, aren’t they?”

“It seems so.”

Dedede sighed. 

“...I suppose I should go first,” Meta began.

“No, wait.” 

“Huh?”

“ I’ll go first,” Dedede insisted, pointing his thumb into his chest.

“...If you insist, sire.”

“Hmph.” He folded his arms again. “Sailor told me you missed me.”

Meta looked away again. “They did?”

“Uh-huh. So I’m thinkin’ Bandana’s told you the same thing about me. Hasn’t he?”

“Yes. Yes, he has.”

“Well… damn it all, it’s true. I did miss you. And, for Nova’s sake, I feel like an idiot for it. I just…” He held his hands out in front of him. “I don’t get it. I don’t get why you did that. Why you tried to take over Dream Land.”

Meta hung his head. 

“Why’d you do that, Meta?” Dedede asked softly, turning to look at him. “Why?”

“...I saw him again.”

“Who?”

“Galacta Knight.”

Dedede gasped. “ What? Wh-what happened? What’d he say?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothin’?”

“He said… nothing.” Meta stared at the ground. “There was nothing behind his eyes. It was like he couldn’t even see in front of him. We fought, and I won, and that… that was it.”

“You’re kiddin’,” Dedede breathed.

He shook his head. “I thought that for a moment, for a split second, he recognised me. I thought I saw recognition. But then he was sealed away again in that infernal crystal.”

Dedede simply looked at him.

Meta placed his masked face in his hands. “It broke me, Dedede. It broke me.”

“Oh, Meta…” He reached out and tried to pat him on the back. 

Meta’s wings involuntarily sprung out, and Dedede recoiled. “S-sorry.”

“No, that…” They curled around him a little. “I didn’t mean to do that. I don’t mind if you…” he faltered.

Reaching again, Dedede placed his hand on Meta’s back, and this time, it was accepted.

“After that, I… I tried to push it out of my head,” he continued. “I focused on other things. I started to think about how Dream Land would fare against stronger enemies, enemies like him. Those that could cause chaos and destruction. And of course, none are ever any match for Kirby. But what would we do without him?”

“Hey, I can handle it,” Dedede assured.
“...I know. And I can handle it, too. But what about the rest of Dream Land’s inhabitants?” He finally looked up at the king, yellow eyes gleaming. “I thought I would be helping. Doing something for the greater good of this kingdom. But I was wrong.” He closed his eyes. “Kirby showed me that.”

“Heh. That little pink son of a gun really does it to you, don’t he? Always makin’ us look at things a different way. …Oh, Nova, I hate bein’ wrong, but I’m wrong more often than I wanna be. I ain’t been the greatest king all the time. So you ain’t even half wrong to oppose me.” Dedede hung his head. 

“I should have said something instead of going off on my own and making rash decisions.”

“Hey, that’s what you do. It’s your thing.”

“...Heh,” Meta chuckled. “I like to think I’m quick on my feet, and I take charge.”

“I like a man who can take charge,” Dedede said wryly, smirking.

Meta slapped a hand against his mask. “Pffft. Heheheh!” 

“Hahahaha!” Dedede laughed, patting Meta’s back. “Ahh. Jokin’ aside, it’s probably better than bein’ indecisive.”

“True. …And you don’t make the most well-thought-out plans either, Dedede.”

“Ha! When push comes to shove, you don’t got time to think.”

“No. No, you don’t.”

He nodded.

Meta looked away once more and was silent for a moment. Then, he continued. “After Kirby beat me and stopped my revolution, I realised something.”

“What’s that?” 

“That, if all I pursue is power, if all I do is train, and all I prioritise is strength, I will eventually go the same way as he did. As Galacta Knight did.”

Dedede’s eyes widened. “Meta…”

He looked back at the king. “He was sealed away for his strength, his power. And I lost the man that taught me how to fight. If the same were to happen to me… I would be leaving behind all those dear to me. My Meta-Knights, Kirby… you. All this to say… I’m sorry. I’m sorry for making a foolish and reckless decision to try to take over. And I’m sorry for keeping all of this from you. That’s not what one does to someone they care about.”

“Aw, Meta…” Dedede began, leaning in, but he was interrupted.

“I don’t know if you can forgive me, but—”

“Oh, c’mere already!”

Dedede pulled him into a tight hug and held him close.

“Dedede…!”

“I told you, didn’t I?” he sniffled. “All those years back when we used to go adventurin’. And when you left to go train on your own and I stayed to be king. I told you I’d still be here and I’d wait for you. And I’m still here now, ain’t I?”

“...You are,” Meta whispered into his chest. “You are.”

“You ain’t gettin’ rid of me that easy, sweetheart. I need my brave, strong knight around.”

“Heheheh… and I need my big, burly king around,” Meta returned, chuckling.

They pulled away, and Dedede grinned at him. “I think that’s as much cuddlin’ as we can do before those two back there start thinkin’ somethin’ else is happenin’,” he joked, gesturing to the Waddle Dees, still watching from the tree.

“Dear Nova, I forgot we were being watched,” Meta admitted, turning to glance at them.

“Ha! We’d better get back to them.” Dedede turned around and cupped his hands around his beak once more. “Oi! You two! Come back here!”

“Coming!” they called in unison, hurrying over to them.

“Were you watching us the entire time?” Meta questioned.

Sailor and Bandana exchanged glances. “Uhh… no,” Bandana very obviously lied.

King Dedede and Meta Knight gave him an unimpressed look.

“...Yeah,” Bandana admitted.

Sailor nodded. “Yes, sir, we were. But you made up, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, dintcha?”

“Yeah, yeah, we did, your plan worked,” Dedede answered, rolling his eyes. “Not bad, kid.” He reached out and patted Bandana’s head.

“Yeah! We did it!” Bandana pumped his arms into the air. 

“Woohoo!” Sailor cheered.

“Yes, if it hadn’t been for you—both of you—we may have taken a lot longer to have this conversation,” Meta added. “So, thank you, Sailor, Bandana.” He reached out and patted Sailor on the head as well.

“I’m just happy that you’re friends again,” Sailor replied jubilantly.

Dedede smiled. “Yep. Now, it’s about time we headed home.”

“Yes, of course,” Meta concurred. “We do have a ship to build.”

“Oh, wait, Meta.”

“Hm?”

“You’re rebuildin’ the Halberd, ain’tcha?” Dedede asked.

He nodded. “That is correct.”

“Reckon you need an extra pair of hands or ten? I can get my Dees to help out the rebuildin’ effort. I’ll come too since I’m good with a hammer, but you already know that.” He smirked smugly.

“That would be much appreciated, sire,” Meta replied, and you could hear the smile in his voice.

“Right, then! Bandana, we’re gonna go round up the Waddle Dees!”

“Yes, sire!” Bandana said eagerly.

“Y’all head back. We’ll be there before you know it,” Dedede told Meta and Sailor.

Sailor saluted him. “Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Thank you, King Dedede,” Meta said, bowing a little.

“Heheh. Ain’t no thing. Now, let’s build a battleship!”