The Forbidden Bond
Bate / Meta
“A…Atka?” Bate called out to his friend. His voice echoed throughout the abandoned Star Warrior temple, causing the Puff to lower his voice since he didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention. He inched forward some more, taking a look at the worn granite pillars lining the dim hall he was walking through.
“Atka, are you in here?” He called out once more, walking deeper into the temple in hopes to find her.
“Over here, my dear Bate.” Her voice graced his presence not a moment later, and Bate found himself heading further in. He caught a glimpse of several tails casting a large shadow on the wall next to him, followed by a voice which caused him to completely stop. For a moment, it sounded like there was another.
“Oh, there you are!” Atka’s voice shook the warrior from his thoughts.
“A-atka.” He spoke, giving the Spear Doomer a warm smile. He embraced his old friend, while she graciously returned it.
“You do sure have an unusual spot for us to meet, don’t you?” He gave a small laugh, recalling the letter he received from her with the coordinates to this isolated area. “I would prefer a nice restaurant, but-“
“Da…Da Da!!!”
Bate froze mid sentence once he heard the voice again. He looked around only to face Atka when she started to laugh.
“Did you hear that?” He asked. “Is there someone with us?
Atka didn’t speak, but flicked one of her tails to get him follow her to the other room. Bate tried to protest, but ended up dropping it and just silently followed.
It didn’t take long for the warrior to see why she lead him to this place to meet. He just stood there near the entrance, shocked what he had just seen. There was just no way it could be real. How was this possible, they’re a dying kind- on the brink of extinction.....and yet-
“Star Warriors….” He finally spoke, taking a look at the small sleeping Puffballs nestled with their Guardians. “H-how is that even possible?”
“There are things even I don’t know, my dear Bate.”
He walked towards the sleeping bunch and softly counted off the pairs. "Two...four...six...eight...nine...?" He said when he noticed a lone Guardian without his warrior.
"Not exactly." She giggled, slightly shifting her wing to reveal a little blue Puffball hidden behind them. Focusing his attention away from the Doomer's fluffy wings, he locked eyes with Bate and began happily toddling to him."
"Da Da Da daaa-" The infant babbled, extending his arms to the warrior. Bate inched back in surprise and tried to keep his distance from the puff.
"A-Atka, what do I do? He's walking towards me!!" He asked his companion for help. "Grab him!"
"My dear Bate, he's not going to hurt you. How about you try picking him up?" She encouraged her timid friend.
"I....but....." He hesitated, and looked back at the child who was now in front of him. He was smiling and eagerly held out his hand waiting to be picked up. Eventually Bate keeled down and gently grabbed the small warrior. It babbled and began nibbling on his glove which couldn't help but cause Bate to crack a small smile.
"What's....his name?" Bate asked, lifting his hands higher to get a better look at him.
"Well, I was hoping you'd be able to help me." She spoke, leading him to the other Warriors. "I've had several in mind, but....I would like to know if you agree to them as well."
"I'm sure I will." He nodded, looking at the group. He started with the warrior all the way to the left; a pale green puff with a small tuft of pink hair. He pointed to him, and Atka spoke.
"His name is Falspar."
"Falspar?" Bate repeated, slightly tilting his head since it sounded familiar. "Why does it feel like I heard that name before...."
"Oh, so you recall?" She smiled, lifting one of her tails to gently caress the child's head. " Percival Falspar is the name of one of the great missing Star Warriors who fought Nightmare many decades ago. I read somewhere he was also known for his outrageous red hair. I thought it suited him nicely."
"And the others?" He said, pointing to another Puff.
"That one is named Dragato." She answered.
"As in...Sir Galahad Dragato?" Bate raised a brow; picking up on the theme she was using. "Don't tell me you're giving them the last names of the missing round, are you? "
"I am." She beamed. Focusing back on the others, she pointed to the last two in the pile. "Lancelot Nonsurat and Sir Arthur."
"Well, there's four out of the six Warriors. So what about him?" He held up the infant in his arms. "Bedivere? Maleagant?"
"Meta." She said, using her tail as a tassel to entertain the small warrior. "Maleagant Metameios is a bit of a mouthful, don't you think? I think Meta will do just fine."
"Arthur, Meta, Dragato, Falspar, and Nonsurat. Hm, I like it." He gave his comrade a supportive nod. "O-oh...and...the Guardians?"
"About that...." Her voice started to lower as she held out the five small Warp Stars in front of her. Bate could sense something was troubling her. She was so eager to share the names of the warriors, but something about their other halves made her hesitant. Bate motioned his wing and gently hugged the old Doomer- causing her to look up to him.
"I'm sure whatever you picked, they're just as great as the Warriors themselves."
"T-Thank you, my dear Bate, but that's the thing...." She gently tapped one of the stars. "Their Warp Stars provided me with their names already. Ekon, Margalo, Bossa, Nova, and Alto."
"They...told you?" He spoke in slight surprise. "I never heard of such a thing, then again....these are the first Star Warriors I've seen since, well...the two of us. Who knows what our Stars are capable of."
"I agree, but I feel that these warriors are quite.....special. Five of them appearing all at once? I don't know why, my dear Bate, but I have a hunch that one of these warrior's will be the prophecy Star Child Lord Kalamar Kalmari spoke of. We thought were were the last ones, but fate gave us another chance. My dear Bate, this could be it."
"We don't know for sure, but knowing there's more than the two of us does feel reassuring...." He said, gently setting Meta down with the others. "That being said....I have a strong feeling to as why you called me out here."
"We are one in the same. If you know what I was thinking, then it is."
"If you knew, then why did you think I'll accept?" He turned away from the group, his voice shifting to a less pleasant tone. "You out of everyone should know why I can't do it."
His words couldn't help but cause Atka to look away in pain. She knew she was asking a lot from her master. He's been through so much. He's been hurting for so long, and...even if they are not the children of prophecy, maybe their purpose lie elsewhere. If her master will help them, maybe...they could do the same and help him in return.
Gently walking towards her master, Atka placed one of her tails on his shoulder. "I know the loss has been so very hard for you. I know asking you this was much more than you could ever bargain for, but you're the only one I trust to help me. Please...they need you."
The temple went silent as Atka patiently waited for her master's answer. Atka could sense how torn he was from her request. He lost his family several years, and knew it was the reason why he was hesitating. To leave his past behind and begin a new chapter, Atka could only imagine what's going through his mind right now.
"Atka...." His voice cut the silence.
She perked a bit and watched as he turned around to face her. "O-oh, my dear Bate." Her voice rose concern once she saw the tears in his eyes. She rushed towards the warrior to wipe them with her wings.
"I'm sorry." She hugged the quivering frame. "I'm so sorry for asking you this. I know it still hurts."
"I can't, Atka. I can't go through the agony of losing another again, I almost died from it. I'm not strong enough if something were to ever happen to them." He sobbed, clutching on to the figure for support. His heart ached as he thought about his son. The memories of digging his grave and fervently apologizing for not being there to protect him caused his chest to tighten with grief and pain. It was far too much for him to handle, and the Puff pushed himself away from the Guardian as he tried to calm himself. Atka kept silent, but headed towards the shaken warrior to help calm is nerves. She gently rubbed his back and waited until he was ready to talk again.
"It was selfish of me to ask you of this while you were recovering." She apologized. "Forgive me."
She felt him slightly shrug his wings.
"Please....it's fine, Atka." He took a deep breath and softly sighed to himself. He wiped the last of his tears and looked down once he felt something hug his leg. The little blue puff from earlier looked at him in concern, and babbled to the warrior before trying to reach up and hug him. "But...you're right. They do need a place to stay until they're old enough to be trained."
Lowering his wings, he shook his head and refused Atka's earlier request.
"I....can't be the one who raises them, Atka. I'm not ready to start another family and take on the role as their father." He firmly stated, but reached out and gently gave the small puff a tap on the head. "But...I can be their shadow to watch over, and protect them if needed."
“As long as they have you watching over them from afar, then they will be well protected. Thank you, my dear Bate." She smiled, joining his side to watch the five nuzzle their Guardians. "Maybe, one day….you will recover from your past and be able to move on and accept these warriors into your life, but even if you don’t, I am thankful you will take on their role as their protector.”
She shifted her attention to the chicklings.
“I will do my part and raise their Guardians until they have matured to be with their other halves. When the time comes, they will meet once more. But….for now….” She used her tails to gently scoop the puffs away from them. “They must be apart for their safety.”
“I can’t just bring five infants with me back to Kalmari. How can I begin to even explain this to Gordon and the others…..”
“Do not worry, my dear.” Atka reassured with another flick of her tail. She already had a plan set for them.
“Please follow me and I’ll explain everything."
“Atka, are you in here?” He called out once more, walking deeper into the temple in hopes to find her.
“Over here, my dear Bate.” Her voice graced his presence not a moment later, and Bate found himself heading further in. He caught a glimpse of several tails casting a large shadow on the wall next to him, followed by a voice which caused him to completely stop. For a moment, it sounded like there was another.
“Oh, there you are!” Atka’s voice shook the warrior from his thoughts.
“A-atka.” He spoke, giving the Spear Doomer a warm smile. He embraced his old friend, while she graciously returned it.
“You do sure have an unusual spot for us to meet, don’t you?” He gave a small laugh, recalling the letter he received from her with the coordinates to this isolated area. “I would prefer a nice restaurant, but-“
“Da…Da Da!!!”
Bate froze mid sentence once he heard the voice again. He looked around only to face Atka when she started to laugh.
“Did you hear that?” He asked. “Is there someone with us?
Atka didn’t speak, but flicked one of her tails to get him follow her to the other room. Bate tried to protest, but ended up dropping it and just silently followed.
It didn’t take long for the warrior to see why she lead him to this place to meet. He just stood there near the entrance, shocked what he had just seen. There was just no way it could be real. How was this possible, they’re a dying kind- on the brink of extinction.....and yet-
“Star Warriors….” He finally spoke, taking a look at the small sleeping Puffballs nestled with their Guardians. “H-how is that even possible?”
“There are things even I don’t know, my dear Bate.”
He walked towards the sleeping bunch and softly counted off the pairs. "Two...four...six...eight...nine...?" He said when he noticed a lone Guardian without his warrior.
"Not exactly." She giggled, slightly shifting her wing to reveal a little blue Puffball hidden behind them. Focusing his attention away from the Doomer's fluffy wings, he locked eyes with Bate and began happily toddling to him."
"Da Da Da daaa-" The infant babbled, extending his arms to the warrior. Bate inched back in surprise and tried to keep his distance from the puff.
"A-Atka, what do I do? He's walking towards me!!" He asked his companion for help. "Grab him!"
"My dear Bate, he's not going to hurt you. How about you try picking him up?" She encouraged her timid friend.
"I....but....." He hesitated, and looked back at the child who was now in front of him. He was smiling and eagerly held out his hand waiting to be picked up. Eventually Bate keeled down and gently grabbed the small warrior. It babbled and began nibbling on his glove which couldn't help but cause Bate to crack a small smile.
"What's....his name?" Bate asked, lifting his hands higher to get a better look at him.
"Well, I was hoping you'd be able to help me." She spoke, leading him to the other Warriors. "I've had several in mind, but....I would like to know if you agree to them as well."
"I'm sure I will." He nodded, looking at the group. He started with the warrior all the way to the left; a pale green puff with a small tuft of pink hair. He pointed to him, and Atka spoke.
"His name is Falspar."
"Falspar?" Bate repeated, slightly tilting his head since it sounded familiar. "Why does it feel like I heard that name before...."
"Oh, so you recall?" She smiled, lifting one of her tails to gently caress the child's head. " Percival Falspar is the name of one of the great missing Star Warriors who fought Nightmare many decades ago. I read somewhere he was also known for his outrageous red hair. I thought it suited him nicely."
"And the others?" He said, pointing to another Puff.
"That one is named Dragato." She answered.
"As in...Sir Galahad Dragato?" Bate raised a brow; picking up on the theme she was using. "Don't tell me you're giving them the last names of the missing round, are you? "
"I am." She beamed. Focusing back on the others, she pointed to the last two in the pile. "Lancelot Nonsurat and Sir Arthur."
"Well, there's four out of the six Warriors. So what about him?" He held up the infant in his arms. "Bedivere? Maleagant?"
"Meta." She said, using her tail as a tassel to entertain the small warrior. "Maleagant Metameios is a bit of a mouthful, don't you think? I think Meta will do just fine."
"Arthur, Meta, Dragato, Falspar, and Nonsurat. Hm, I like it." He gave his comrade a supportive nod. "O-oh...and...the Guardians?"
"About that...." Her voice started to lower as she held out the five small Warp Stars in front of her. Bate could sense something was troubling her. She was so eager to share the names of the warriors, but something about their other halves made her hesitant. Bate motioned his wing and gently hugged the old Doomer- causing her to look up to him.
"I'm sure whatever you picked, they're just as great as the Warriors themselves."
"T-Thank you, my dear Bate, but that's the thing...." She gently tapped one of the stars. "Their Warp Stars provided me with their names already. Ekon, Margalo, Bossa, Nova, and Alto."
"They...told you?" He spoke in slight surprise. "I never heard of such a thing, then again....these are the first Star Warriors I've seen since, well...the two of us. Who knows what our Stars are capable of."
"I agree, but I feel that these warriors are quite.....special. Five of them appearing all at once? I don't know why, my dear Bate, but I have a hunch that one of these warrior's will be the prophecy Star Child Lord Kalamar Kalmari spoke of. We thought were were the last ones, but fate gave us another chance. My dear Bate, this could be it."
"We don't know for sure, but knowing there's more than the two of us does feel reassuring...." He said, gently setting Meta down with the others. "That being said....I have a strong feeling to as why you called me out here."
"We are one in the same. If you know what I was thinking, then it is."
"If you knew, then why did you think I'll accept?" He turned away from the group, his voice shifting to a less pleasant tone. "You out of everyone should know why I can't do it."
His words couldn't help but cause Atka to look away in pain. She knew she was asking a lot from her master. He's been through so much. He's been hurting for so long, and...even if they are not the children of prophecy, maybe their purpose lie elsewhere. If her master will help them, maybe...they could do the same and help him in return.
Gently walking towards her master, Atka placed one of her tails on his shoulder. "I know the loss has been so very hard for you. I know asking you this was much more than you could ever bargain for, but you're the only one I trust to help me. Please...they need you."
The temple went silent as Atka patiently waited for her master's answer. Atka could sense how torn he was from her request. He lost his family several years, and knew it was the reason why he was hesitating. To leave his past behind and begin a new chapter, Atka could only imagine what's going through his mind right now.
"Atka...." His voice cut the silence.
She perked a bit and watched as he turned around to face her. "O-oh, my dear Bate." Her voice rose concern once she saw the tears in his eyes. She rushed towards the warrior to wipe them with her wings.
"I'm sorry." She hugged the quivering frame. "I'm so sorry for asking you this. I know it still hurts."
"I can't, Atka. I can't go through the agony of losing another again, I almost died from it. I'm not strong enough if something were to ever happen to them." He sobbed, clutching on to the figure for support. His heart ached as he thought about his son. The memories of digging his grave and fervently apologizing for not being there to protect him caused his chest to tighten with grief and pain. It was far too much for him to handle, and the Puff pushed himself away from the Guardian as he tried to calm himself. Atka kept silent, but headed towards the shaken warrior to help calm is nerves. She gently rubbed his back and waited until he was ready to talk again.
"It was selfish of me to ask you of this while you were recovering." She apologized. "Forgive me."
She felt him slightly shrug his wings.
"Please....it's fine, Atka." He took a deep breath and softly sighed to himself. He wiped the last of his tears and looked down once he felt something hug his leg. The little blue puff from earlier looked at him in concern, and babbled to the warrior before trying to reach up and hug him. "But...you're right. They do need a place to stay until they're old enough to be trained."
Lowering his wings, he shook his head and refused Atka's earlier request.
"I....can't be the one who raises them, Atka. I'm not ready to start another family and take on the role as their father." He firmly stated, but reached out and gently gave the small puff a tap on the head. "But...I can be their shadow to watch over, and protect them if needed."
“As long as they have you watching over them from afar, then they will be well protected. Thank you, my dear Bate." She smiled, joining his side to watch the five nuzzle their Guardians. "Maybe, one day….you will recover from your past and be able to move on and accept these warriors into your life, but even if you don’t, I am thankful you will take on their role as their protector.”
She shifted her attention to the chicklings.
“I will do my part and raise their Guardians until they have matured to be with their other halves. When the time comes, they will meet once more. But….for now….” She used her tails to gently scoop the puffs away from them. “They must be apart for their safety.”
“I can’t just bring five infants with me back to Kalmari. How can I begin to even explain this to Gordon and the others…..”
“Do not worry, my dear.” Atka reassured with another flick of her tail. She already had a plan set for them.
“Please follow me and I’ll explain everything."
-The End-
Artist Comment:
June 19, 2019
-----------------
This illustrations takes place before Chapter 0- "A Wish is Born"
This is the first time Bate meets the five warriors and Guardians. This is also the first time I finally bring up a rather old concept I had regarding their names. I'm not sure when it was announced, but apparently there was some sort of translation error in the anime regarding Meta Knight's comrades. After receiving a rather high amount of comments telling me to change their names to the correct ones many years back, I thought it would be cooler to make another set of warriors with those names instead. So get ready for my story of the missing Star Warriors of the Round. I'm so happy I can finally share it with you! >v<
June 19, 2019
-----------------
This illustrations takes place before Chapter 0- "A Wish is Born"
This is the first time Bate meets the five warriors and Guardians. This is also the first time I finally bring up a rather old concept I had regarding their names. I'm not sure when it was announced, but apparently there was some sort of translation error in the anime regarding Meta Knight's comrades. After receiving a rather high amount of comments telling me to change their names to the correct ones many years back, I thought it would be cooler to make another set of warriors with those names instead. So get ready for my story of the missing Star Warriors of the Round. I'm so happy I can finally share it with you! >v<
Gumball Warrior Concept: The Missing Warriors of the Round
In the story above, Atka mentions she names the five infants based on several "Missing Star Warriors who fought Nightmare decades ago" Their names are as followed:
Sir Arthur
Sir Maleagant Metameios
Sir Lancelot Nonsurat
Sir Galahand Dragato
Sir Percival Falspar
Sir Bedivere (Atka was unable to locate his last name)
These were once very powerful Star Warriors who fought bravely against a horrible, demonic beast called Nightmare. It is said Bedivere (the youngest) went off to fight Nightmare on his own. Once he disappeared without a trace, the remaining five regrouped and planned to strike back at Nightmare to rescue their brother. They left one night and swore to their town they will defeat Nightmare and bring back anyone who has been taken by him. Not Bedivere, nor anyone else from the round has been heard from again. They are considered missing Star Warriors, and are usually brought up when anyone brings up the story of Nightmare. Atka still believes they are alive somewhere, and decided to bestow the five infants with their last names.
And yes, Metameios is Meta's full name. x) It's simpler to say Meta, so Atka decided to shorten it. Though please note Metameios is NOT Maleagant's last name in real folklore, nor is anyone else's last name accurate. I honestly can't find any info on it, not to mention my concept isn't based on the real story of King Arthur. So any historians currently reading this, please don't yell at me. XDD
And double yes, Bate ends up getting attached to a certain blue gumball. But it'll take many years for him to take the Star Child (as well as Arthur) under his wing. u u
Sir Arthur
Sir Maleagant Metameios
Sir Lancelot Nonsurat
Sir Galahand Dragato
Sir Percival Falspar
Sir Bedivere (Atka was unable to locate his last name)
These were once very powerful Star Warriors who fought bravely against a horrible, demonic beast called Nightmare. It is said Bedivere (the youngest) went off to fight Nightmare on his own. Once he disappeared without a trace, the remaining five regrouped and planned to strike back at Nightmare to rescue their brother. They left one night and swore to their town they will defeat Nightmare and bring back anyone who has been taken by him. Not Bedivere, nor anyone else from the round has been heard from again. They are considered missing Star Warriors, and are usually brought up when anyone brings up the story of Nightmare. Atka still believes they are alive somewhere, and decided to bestow the five infants with their last names.
And yes, Metameios is Meta's full name. x) It's simpler to say Meta, so Atka decided to shorten it. Though please note Metameios is NOT Maleagant's last name in real folklore, nor is anyone else's last name accurate. I honestly can't find any info on it, not to mention my concept isn't based on the real story of King Arthur. So any historians currently reading this, please don't yell at me. XDD
And double yes, Bate ends up getting attached to a certain blue gumball. But it'll take many years for him to take the Star Child (as well as Arthur) under his wing. u u
Species © Nintendo/ HAL Laboratory
Interpreted characters created from said species © Rhylem
Interpreted characters created from said species © Rhylem