Sakura Dee|さくら•ヂィー
The night drags on for hours and hours. Eventually, I manage to talk Meta Knight into letting me take watch again somewhere around four hours before sunrise. He settles down for a much-needed rest, while I quietly leap and run around the campsite, attacking invisible foes and driving my sword through them. Still, the haunting song I found myself singing earlier plays through my mind over and over again, even though I don't allow myself to voice it for fear of waking the others up. Unlike my lullaby, which I'm still pretty sure I wrote, this song has always been there, as far back as I can remember and probably long before that too. It's a song I've always known, a song that's practically a part of me. I don't know how or where I learned it, but it's always been there.
For some reason, it's been stuck in my head all evening. I mean, sure, I sang it now and again to the other Waddle Dees, but it's not usually constantly in the back of my mind. I've always known it, but it hasn't always been stuck in my head like this. Maybe it's because I wish its message would come true, a message of peace and an end to darkness. That's probably it, come to think of it. Hopefully, within a few days, its message will have come true, and Dreamland will finally be able to continue on in light and peace for many years to come.
Pausing in my quiet assault of an imaginary foe, I catch my breath and then inwardly correct my posture and the way I held my sword during the last barrage. If Meta Knight didn't need the rest so badly, I'd wake him up and ask him to spar with me. I want to make sure I'm as good as I can be for the fight that's coming, especially now that I have two objectives rather than just one: Not only to I have to weaken the Lightning, but now I have to keep Meta Knight alive, despite the odds, as well.
After several more imaginary battles, I force myself to sheathe my sword and sit down next to the long-dead fire. There haven't been any thunder rumblings for hours, making me wonder if the clouds have mostly passed over for now. Maybe we'll have another nice day today, who knows? That'd be nice. I just hope I get one last chance to see the stars and hear their singing before... before I do what I have to do.
With a sigh, I gaze up at the thick treetops above my head before flopping back onto my back and continuing to stare up at them. I don't even know how to describe how I feel right now after everything that's happened in the past twenty-four hours. That fierce determination is still there, but there's something else too— well, a mixture of several kinds of something else, honestly. There's sadness left over from learning Meta Knight's fate if I fail, a kind of wistfulness and nostalgia brought on by the realization that I'm probably not going to survive this quest, and a whole lot of fear and intimidation caused by the knowledge that so much is riding on my success or failure in the coming battle. Whatever all is in there, it's certainly not a pleasant mixture of emotions to be feeling.
The night drags on, but I never manage to fall asleep— not that I should be anyway, since I'm the one who's keeping watch. I just keep staring up at the treetops as if they hold the answers I'm looking for, or some kind of promise that I won't fail Dreamland the one time I actually have the opportunity to do my homeland some good. Of course, they offer no such kind of reassurance, and so I spend the long night all alone, feeling empty, frightened, and sad, even if also determined.
Finally, dawn arrives— actually bringing some light with it, which is a welcome omen— and Meta Knight wakes up. Once he's up, I go over and gently shake the kids awake. They pop up and start running around, playing leapfrog, laughing, and generally enjoying life. The sight makes me smile inwardly for a moment, but it quickly passes. I can't take time to have fun and enjoy things; I need to be focused and ready for what's coming.
Meta Knight gives us all some bread and dried fruit from his supplies, and then comments that we have enough left for about a week if we're careful. I suggest going back to the castle to pick up more supplies, but he shakes his head. "This quest will be over in well less than a week. There's no need to slow ourselves down like that," he says.
Even though I know he's right, the reminder is anything but welcome.
Once breakfast is over, we make our way to the clearing from which we entered this thicket, and then take off into the air. Today, our plan is to fly over the Cappy Town and Castle Dedede area, and keep flying north until we reach the frigid, snowy world of White Wafers. Before last night, I had been looking forward to going there despite everything else, since I've never seen snow before that I can remember, and from everything I've read about it, it sounds wonderful. But today, I can't bring myself to feel excited. Mainly all I feel is a hollow, haunting sort of dread deep in the pit of my stomach, brought on by the knowledge of everything that's going to happen within a few short days.
The sky is mostly cloudy today, but the sun keeps managing to poke through now and again, and the clouds are more dark gray than black. It's easy enough to make it up above them without having to fly too high. Honestly, it's almost as nice as yesterday, as far as we're concerned, since we get to stay above the clouds. Funnily enough, Meta Knight seems to be much less sour and grumpy today, even if the anxiety and some other, new kind of worry still seems to be there. Kirby and Bandanna Dee, of course, seem, as always, to be having the time of their lives.
Honestly, everyone seems to be in a pretty good mood, all except for me.
It makes me feel kinda bad that now I'm the one who's down, I guess, but no matter how I try, I can't seem to cheer myself up. I mean, I'm glad that I'm not acting childish about things like I was yesterday, but still... It'd be nice to not feel so empty and anxious like this. A tiny part of me wonders if this is how Meta Knight feels all the time, and somehow, that just makes me feel even sadder.
Apparently the others notice my change in mood from yesterday, although I can't really blame them. After all, I'm much quieter than I usually am, practically like the day after the cave again now. But while Meta Knight is kind enough to give me some space, Kirby and Bandanna Dee take it upon themselves to do everything they can to make me cheer up. They pull flight tricks, tell silly little jokes, and Kirby even starts trying to sing some funny song, only for all three of us to quickly beg him to stop (when it comes to anything but the song for the 'Kirby Ta-Da Dance,' apparently, Kirby is entirely tone-deaf). Nothing works, which seems to discourage the two little guys a bit. Of course, that makes me feel even worse, but try as I might, I can't force myself to feel happy.
When we break for lunch somewhere close to the lone, tall monument known as Butter Building, (we plan to start farther north and then work south, for the most part, and besides, this 'world' is way too small to hide the Lightning, probably), both kids sit down on either side of me and snuggle up close to my side while they eat. It makes me give a tiny 'smile' despite everything, but even that quickly disappears when I realize that soon, I'll probably never get to do this with them again. I hope I'm wrong and that we can all survive, but some part of me just knows that even though four of us will go in to face the Lightning, only three of us are going to come back out.
Shuddering a bit, I try to hide the piercing sadness I suddenly feel by replacing it with the fierce determination that's still hiding underneath it, and I guess I do so fast enough for the two kids not to notice, but Meta Knight definitely does. When I glance up after changing my facial expression as quickly as I can, I catch him looking over at me, worried. Not wanting to give him anything else to worry about on top of everything he's already dealing with, I offer him a small 'smile,' but he doesn't seem convinced, even when he nods once and then looks away again.
Soon after, Meta Knight orders us to take off again, so we stand up and clean up after ourselves. I've hardly touched my food, so I try to just give it back to Meta Knight to add to the supplies again, leading him to give me a weird, rather concerned look once again.
"I'm still full from breakfast," I explain with a shrug, trying to be nonchalant.
"You barely ate then, either," he comments a tad suspiciously, unconvinced, but doesn't argue further.
Kirby, on the other hand, seems more adamant about it. Stepping between us, he tells me firmly, "S'kura-poy need t'eat t'stay strong. Kirby-poy don't want you t'starve."
Shaking my head, I promise him softly, "I won't starve. I'm just... not hungry. If you want the food, you can have it."
Much to everyone's shock, I'm sure, Kirby shakes his head and pushes the proffered food back towards me. "It's your food. Kirby-poy wants you t'take care of yourself. Kirby loves you, S'kura-poy."
Those last three little words rock my world more than anything else ever has. Frozen, I stare at him for a minute, before staring down at the ground and blinking quickly so as not to start crying. No one's told me they love me before, ever. Among the Waddle Dees, we don't have 'love.' I've always had some concept of it, since other people around the castle have always used the word— Dedede 'loves' golf, Escargoon 'loves' science, the old Prime Minister and his family 'loved' each other— but it was never something for me, or something that I could be a part of. I guess I was anyway, in a way, even if I didn't realize it— I loved the Litdees whom I was charged to look after, each and every one of them, despite the fact that they were supposed to be treated as a collective, each one indistinguishable from the others. But at the same time, I didn't understand that at the time, and I still don't fully understand it. There are many things about 'love' that still don't make sense to me; the word seems to be used so many different ways.
Despite all that, there is one thing I do know and understand already.
Setting my food aside on a rock, I look back up and give Kirby a big hug, telling him quietly, "I love you too, Kirby. Thanks for being my friend."
Not wanting to be left out, Bandanna Dee wriggles into the hug too, shoving his forehead against mine and proclaiming, "Don't forget me! I love you too, She-Dee!"
Giggling despite myself, I rub my forehead against his in a kind of fond nuzzle, and think back at him, "I didn't forget you, silly. I love you too, little guy."
When the three of us glance up at Meta Knight again, he seems to be watching us in something almost resembling happiness, but his expression quickly turns into a glare that clearly says 'I'm not hugging anyone, so don't even try it.' Again, I'm unable to help a giggle as I gently push the little two off. Not knowing what else to do for Sir Knight, I draw my sword and salute him, and then bow before him as squires do. "It is an honor to serve you, Sir, and it makes me glad."
For the first time in days, the slightest hint of a chuckle escapes from his mask as he places one glove on my head for just a second. "I am glad to have served you as well, Lady Dee," he assures me, but then turns serious again and pulls his glove back inside of his cape. "Come, my friends. We shouldn't be wasting time."
The wonderful moment over, I fall silent again as the worry and fear of what's to come drag me back down into their cold, uncaring grip. Shuddering once, I nod and agree, "He's right. Let's go."
My food is left forgotten at the spot where we stopped to eat, but if anyone else remembers it, they don't say anything.
Once or twice over the course of the afternoon, Meta Knight makes a comment about something, but both times, I reply simply and silence quickly falls between the two of us again. Finally, he asks quietly so the kids (who are flying just ahead once again) can't hear, "Are you still hurt about yesterday? I'm very sorry for everything I said... I was acting like... like I don't even know what. A grumpy old soldier, I suppose."
Despite myself, I can't help but snort at that, which seems to be the exact response he was hoping for. Clearing my throat, I assure him, "No, Sir, I'm not upset about any of that anymore. And besides, like I said, you were right."
Rolling his eyes, he sighs, "I won't continue that particular debate, but I still disagree with that assessment."
"I guess I'll just choose to disagree with your disagreement with that assessment," I joke weakly, and in turn, his eyes actually turn lemonade pink for the briefest of seconds for the first time since before our quest began, if I'm remembering right.
Silence falls again for another moment, before he inquires softly, "So... If it's not what happened yesterday, then what is bothering you?"
Shaking my head, I look away and keep flying. "I don't know. I don't really wanna talk about it."
Sounding just the slightest bit annoyed, he comments, "If you know you don't wish to talk about it, then you know what it is that's bothering you."
Again, I shake my head, still unable to look at him. "I guess I keep thinking about what I told you about the other night," I tell him softly, only half-lying. "'There is no greater way to serve a friend, than to lay down one's life.' I guess... I guess I'm still afraid of the idea of laying down my life, for anybody, even my friends."
He's quiet for a long minute, before telling me firmly, "I don't think you're going to die in the battle against the Lightning, if that's what you're afraid of."
Even though that's exactly what I'm afraid of, I just shrug, not wanting to go into this topic any further, for his sake as much as mine.
Out of nowhere, he declares, "Greater love has no one than this, than one who lays down his life for his friends." When I glance over at him, confused, he explains, "That is the Star Warrior version of what you said a moment ago. Waddle Dees put love in terms of service; Star Warriors describe it in terms of friendship, typically, but they're both the same thing."
"I guess so," I shrug, not really getting where he's going with this, and knowing that at least to some extent, he's wrong. Waddle Dees may serve each other, but it's only ever out of a sense of duty, one toward another, except for those rare times when one is glad to serve another. Even then, it's more of a muted friendship than anything Meta Knight's talking about. When we serve others, it's not so much out of a sense of duty as it is out of a sense of privilege— we get to serve others; it's not a chore— but even then, it's not really a 'love' thing, I don't think.
Meta Knight continues, breaking me out of my thoughts once again. "When one is a hero, there is always the possibility that one will have to give one's life in defense of others', even those whom we don't know and never could know. It's something we have to learn and accept, even if it's still hardly a pleasant thought." When I don't reply, he finishes, "We all have to live knowing that one day, we may have to make the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and wellbeing of others. It's part of being a hero. Of course, we all would much prefer to save our friend's life without laying down our own, but that's not always an option."
Even though he sounds a bit sadder now, it's definitely not as bad as I was worried it would be. Maybe he's as resigned to the idea of his own death as I am to mine. If it wasn't so sad, it'd actually be kinda funny, I guess. Who knows, maybe we'll both make it out alive and it'll turn out to be funny in the end after all.
"Sakura?" he asks gently, wanting to make sure I'm listening.
"Yeah, I heard everything," I assure him quietly, and then offer him a weak 'smile,' one that I'm sure doesn't even reach my eyes. "Thanks, Sir Knight. I'm... gonna fly ahead and keep an eye on the kids."
"All right," he sighs, still seeming a bit worried about me. Thankfully, he doesn't point out how obvious it is that I'm just trying to have some time alone.
After flying ahead a ways so that I'm about equidistant between Meta Knight and the kids, I take a deep breath and try to hope for the best. Maybe I'll be able to do my part and keep Meta Knight safe, and live to see the peaceful, light Dreamland that will hopefully come afterwards. I mean, like I realized last night, I won't have much of a life anyway even if I do survive, but who knows? Maybe we can all survive. Maybe I can save the life of my mentor without losing my own.
Unfortunately, these thoughts don't nearly convince me, and as we keep flying, I still can't stop feeling the cocktail of negative emotions that I've been stewing in all day.
We end up spending the night on one of the outer edges of White Wafers. There's no snow here, but it certainly is cold enough. I stay up first, hoping to see the stars, but the sky's completely overcast. Soon enough, Meta Knight takes over watch, and I lean against the evergreen tree we've selected for shelter tonight and thankfully, actually manage to fall asleep.
When I wake up the next day, the sun appears to be out from what I can see behind my closed eyelids, and seems much brighter than usual. The first things I'm conscious of are the gleeful-yet-muffled squeals of the kids as they jump down out of the tree onto the ground, making a 'poomf' sound where they land.
The second thing I'm conscious of is that I'm covered in something soft that feels a bit cold, but also seems to act as a kind of blanket.
Sneezing suddenly, I blow a hole in the soft cover, and then can see what made the kids rejoice so loudly, and the cause of the gentle clouds that covered the sky last night.
"Snow," I breathe in wonder, and then slowly stand up, making it all fall off of me in a smooth, gentle sheet. I step away from the tree, marveling at the way the two-inches-or-so of powder crunches under my feet, and feels so delightfully cold to the touch. Once I get away from the tree, I turn a slow circle, staring at the white-blanketed world all around us, breathless and amazed. Everything's sparkling and shimmering, as if someone coated the world in glitter. The ground reflects the sun so brightly, making me blink rapidly a few times as my eyes continue to try and adjust.
The air is so cold, but for some reason, I actually kinda like it. The evergreen trees are coated in the white, cold, soft stuff, glimmering like crystals in the sun. Not far away, Kirby jumps on a branch he was hiding on top of, dousing Bandanna's head in snow, causing Bandanna to glare up at him before they both dissolve into laughter, one's giggles silent, the other's most definitely not.
The view of the winter-wrapped world almost brings me to joyful tears. I can't contain how happy the beauty makes me feel. I've never seen anything so wonderful before, or anything that's felt so right and home-like to me.
Out of nowhere, Meta Knight is at my side. Evidently remember something I said last winter around Christmastime about how I'd always wanted to see snow, he asks kindly, "Is it everything you'd hoped it would be?"
In answer, I flop forward onto my face into the stuff, Waddle Dee-style, eliciting a stunned silence from him. Unable to help myself, I let out a giggle, which turns into more giggles, which turns into a peal of laughter as I roll over onto my back and laugh breathlessly up at the sky, eyes squeezed closed.
"It's perfect, absolutely perfect," I tell Meta Knight between laughs, and then start sweeping my paws and feet up and down in an attempt to make an awkward, stubby-winged snow angel, but then get a better idea. Standing up, I unfurl my wings and then flop backwards into an untouched area of snow, before carefully getting up and shaking my wings off with another giggle, leaving a large-angel-winged, puffball snow angel behind me.
Turning to Meta Knight, I start, "Like I said, it's perf—" only to notice that when I shook my wings off, I somehow managed to cover him in a bunch of the powder. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sir."
He sighs heavily, and then lets go of his cape before bending over and poking at something in the snow. "Oh, would you look at that," he comments in mild surprise. Leaning over so I can see too, I then cough in surprise as he throws a handful of snow right up into my face.
"What the—" I cough, surprised, as I stumble backwards and dust it off.
When I glance back up at Meta Knight, there's a smirk in his eyes, something I've hardly ever seen there before. "Unless I am mistaken, that curious object I just noticed and shared with you was a declaration of war."
I stand there for a second, shocked, before suddenly feeling what would be a smirk if I had a mouth spread over my face as well. "If it's a war you want, then it's a war you're going to get, Sir Knight." With that, I grab up a handful of snow in my own hands and try to throw it at him, but it all falls apart in midair and falls back to the ground not far in front of me. "Oh. Oops."
When I glance up again, Meta Knight has made a ball out of the snow, which he expertly lobs at me. Unfortunately for him, I'm a pro at dodging his well-aimed attacks by now. Using my still-unfurled wings as a shield, I wait until the snowball has splatted against one of them before quickly making one of my own and sending it sailing right above Meta Knight's head.
"You missed," he comments drily, eyes betraying his amusement.
"No I didn't," I reply sweetly with an innocent voice, and then laugh as a branch-full of snow falls right down onto his head off of a tree that stands just above and behind him, the cold fluff shaken off by my well-aimed snowy projectile.
While he glares evenly at me from under the pile of snow that leaves pretty much nothing but his mask's eye-slit visible, I keep laughing until suddenly something hits me with a splat right in the back of the head. Spinning around, I see that Kirby and Bandanna Dee have quickly shoved a pile of snow up on top of a small hill behind me, which they're using as a kind of fortress. Bandanna Dee seems to be quickly making snowballs somewhere behind it, while Kirby grins down at us mischievously, ready and eager to attack us from his snowy keep.
Just like that, Meta Knight's at my side again. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Lady Dee?"
With a mischievous giggle, I reply, "Only if you're having the same 'evil' thoughts of taking over 'Fort Kirby' with me, Sir Knight."
"Of course that's what I'm thinking," he agrees, voice still even but laced with the closest thing to mischief I've ever heard him use.
With that, I shout "Charge!" and the two of us go racing up the hill, expertly dodging snowballs and making and lobbing our own up at the snowy little fortress above.
At first, it looks like we're going to win, even with both kids throwing snowballs down at us as fast as they can, but then Meta Knight gets to the 'fort' before me and hops over the 'wall' so he's defended by it as well.
Breathless, he tells the kids with a laugh, "Whoever helps me defeat the enemy gets two cookies from the bottomless cookie bag."
"Aw, Shotzo," I mutter to myself, as both kids stare at Meta Knight and then mischievously stare back down at me, childish 'malice' in their eyes. "Hey, no fair hiring mercenaries!" I yelp as all three of them start pelting me with snowballs and I try to use my wings as a shield again.
"Do you declare defeat?" Meta Knight calls down.
Suddenly getting an idea, I disagree with a passionate shout of "Never!" Spreading my wings, I take off with one single firm stroke, and then carefully time my strokes so I reach a good altitude right away. Honestly, it's the best takeoff I've ever managed. Once in the air, I turn away from the group and fly full speed right toward the top of a nearby tree that stands opposite the snowy 'fortress.'
Grabbing the top, I fly straight down toward the ground, pulling the top of the tree down with me. Of course, right as I reach the ground is when I first remember that I'm going to go wherever the treetop goes.
"Aw, Shotzo," I mutter again as the tree's sturdy trunk takes over and flings me up into the air back toward the 'enemy.'
"Incoming, poyo!" Kirby squeals in an odd mixture of joy and terror, just as I slam into their fortress wall, breaking a giant hole into it.
Right after I land, the three of them get buried in a whole tree's worth of snow.
Of course, they all three unbury themselves quickly enough, but when they do, it's only to see me standing on top of their surprisingly-large, pyramid-shaped 'weapons reserve,' having claimed all the snowballs for myself. While they all adopt an expression of fear as they realize the true nature of their coming doom, I spread out my gloves to either side and my wings behind me, and give the best evil cackle I can manage—
Only for the snowball pile to collapse underneath me, rendering all the snowballs useless and me just as buried in snow as the rest of them.
It only takes me a moment to clamber out, but when I do, the first thing I shout is a call of "Truce? Truce! Truce!"
Reaching out a glove to help me up, Meta Knight agrees cheerfully with a calm chuckle, "Truce."
"Aw, but Kirby didn't even get to use t'Ice Abilty, or make a hugiant snowball and roll it over S'kura-poy," Kirby whines, but when we all three take aim at him at once, he quickly agrees that it's time for a break after all.
After that, we all serious up for the rest of the day, as we search the world of White Wafers for monsters, and, more specifically, the Monstrous Lightning. The sky looks like it has a few black clouds way on the northern horizon, far above, but where we are, the sun continues to shine brightly until evening comes several hours later. Oddly enough, the world seems to be entirely barren except for the four of us. The lack of monsters is nice, but at the same time, just a tiny bit worrying. Somehow, even that thought isn't enough to douse the joy that all four of us obviously feel in response to the snow, the sun, and the beauty of the 'world' all around us.
When we stop for the day, it's in a tiny cave, which we carefully examine from top to bottom to make sure no nightmare monsters call it home. Once we're satisfied it's safe, Meta Knight produces some dry wood out of his cape that he saved from Whispy Woods, and with everyone's help, we quickly have a warm fire going.
I enjoy watching the beautiful, even-more-bright-and-colorful-than-usual sunset from the mouth of the cave with the other three, but I guess I'm more tired than I realize, because the next time I come to, it's to see the two kids sleeping not far from the fire, just like I am, a blanket tossed carefully over all three of us, and Meta Knight nowhere to be seen. I must fall asleep again soon after, because the next time I wake up, it's to Meta Knight gently shaking me awake.
Sitting up right away, I rub my eyes, surprised by how dark it is, and question aloud, "Is it dawn already?"
Gesturing to me to shush, Meta Knight walks toward the entrance silently and then beckons me to follow. "It's still the middle of the night," he tells me under his breath, "but I think you would want to see this." With that, he disappears off to somewhere outside of the cave.
Yawning quietly, I stretch and then quietly get up, foolishly not even thinking to bring the blanket with me, despite how frigidly cold it is even here by the fire. After rubbing my eyes once again, I silently exit the cave, still half-asleep, only to be instantly, fully woken up and rendered breathless by what I see waiting in the sky outside.