#stcrfought

“Escargoon,” Meta Knight’s voice sharply interjected into Escargoon’s thoughts from seemingly out of nowhere and he paused in his step, staring hard into the surrounding darkness of the hall. He’d been on his way to his room for the night, after having snagged a cup of chamomile tea from the kitchens, and held his cup in one hand and his candle in the other. He’s even wearing his nightgown.

Meta Knight’s form materializes soundlessly from the shadows to his left; and Escargoon very nearly startles enough to drop his tea.

“STARS, Meta Knight, are you trying to give me a heart attack!? What d’you want!?” he’s stage whispering so as to avoid waking the rest of the castle.

“Forgive me for startling you, it was not my intention,” said Meta Knight softly; he doesn’t have to whisper as much as Escargoon, when his voice was naturally this quiet.

“I do not mean to interrupt your nighttime routine, but I have something important I’d like to discuss with you, if it is not too much trouble.”

Such a request seems to give Escargoon a moment’s pause. Since when did they know one another well enough to be asking favors? He wants to cross his arms but he can’t exactly do that, given that he’s got both hands full. Instead, he’ll favor him a particularly unimpressed and somewhat wary look.

“Sure, I guess... What’s this about?”

“Not here,” Meta Knight all but hissed, and Escargoon drew back from him in surprise. He’d never heard such urgency in his voice. Well... not in a very long time, anyway. The last time he’d sounded like that had been literally hundreds of years ago, in that far-away and long-destroyed Realm of Evil. A place that was dead to most folk’s memories, but which Escargoon couldn’t seem to let himself forget.

“Uh, ok? You uh, wanna step into my quarters then?”

“If you would allow me the intrusion. Please.”

A few minutes later, they’re standing in Escargoon’s living room. Rather, Meta Knight was standing and Escargoon was sitting bewildered on his couch, sipping from his tea and staring at Meta Knight like he was some kind of specimen. The knight had personally insisted on checking the locks after them, making sure the door was double locked and bolted. This task done, he’d whirled upon Escargoon, quickly withdrawing his hand back into his cape which he then bundled tightly back around himself. So tight in fact that it seemed to Escargoon that the fabric was straining.

He couldn’t help but be somewhat awed by this whole charade. He’d never seen Meta Knight nervous before, yet here it is right in front of him. It’s evident not only by the unsettling stillness of his posture but also by the searching quality and intensity of his gaze. It’s clear that whatever he’d wanted to speak with him about was incredibly important.

After a few moment’s silence Meta Knight seemed to remember himself, and the cape slackened a little as he reached forth once more. He held out a single page of notebook paper with writing on it, and a hefty hardbound book. Escargoon set down his cup of tea and reached forth to accept them. He set the book on the couch beside him after he gave the title a bemused cursory glance. ‘Spanish All-In-One for Dummies’? What in the world??

He turned his attention to the paper now and that confused expression deepened to one of absolute bafflement. Rows and rows of tight, neatly written cursive. All of it in Spanish. There’s no way he’s going to be able to read this tonight.

Escargoon blinked. “Did you write this?? Why?? Is this for me??”

“Yes, I wrote it; but I cannot tell you why. At least... not aloud. That information is sensitive.”

“Uh.. okay... Well... why did you feel the need to write this when you could just tell me what it says??”

A sharp sigh. Perhaps of impatience. “You’re a smart man, aren’t you Escargoon? One of the smartest in the Kingdom, I would dare to say. If I felt I could speak with you directly of the matters I wrote, then there would be no need for a note. The information is encrypted so long as I write it in Spanish. And I expect you to translate this note with the resources I just provided you.”

Escargoon leveled him a blank stare which quickly grew irritated. “Or, alternatively, I could just feed this to my papershredder and pretend you didn’t barge into my room at midnight. Either you tell me what this is about or I want no part of it!”

There’s a beat of silence.

“Pesadilla,” said Meta Knight seemingly at random and he stepped closer, bending the paper towards him so he could tap the spelling of the word on the page.

“’Pesadilla,’ huh. That’s your answer.” Goon sounds less impressed by the minute.

“Jes. It is a noun. Why don’t you look that word up first. Then you will know what this is about.”

And without waiting for Escargoon’s reply, he turned from him and opened the locks on his door, letting himself out as quietly as he’d first let himself into the room. Escargoon can’t hear his footsteps retreating down the hall, but he senses rather than perceives his absence by the tension fading from the room.

After a long few minutes of stunned silence, holding that paper in front of him with numb fingers, and not really reading what it says... he remembers his tea. He reached forth and took a slurp from it, then set it back on his living room table with a clatter. Then gave the paper a closer look. He didn’t think Meta Knight to be the kind to communicate with letters like this, but there must be something really important at stake for him to want to speak in such a roundabout way.

Without even knowing what the words say, Escargoon tries to read the letter anyway.

Escargoon,

Perdóname por comunicarme contigo de esta manera, pero no vi otra forma de hacerlo de manera segura. Trataré de que esta carta sea breve y con una redacción simple para minimizar el largo proceso de traducción para usted. Eres un hombre muy inteligente. Sé que podrá leer esto con algo de esfuerzo. Por favor, no ignore esta nota.

Te escribo para pedirte un gran favor. ¿Recuerda esos muchos años atrás, cuando forjamos las estrellas en mi nave, la Alabarda? ¿Recuerda también esa gran fuerza del mal que pensamos haber destruido? Pesadilla está de vuelta. Sabe dónde estamos, gracias a las recientes compras monstruosas de Dedede y tú; solo será cuestión de tiempo antes de que venga por nosotros.

Me visita en sueños todas las noches, para hablar conmigo extensamente en un intento de descubrir mis planes para encarcelarlo una vez más, esta vez, con suerte para siempre. No le pediría esto si no creyera que sería un asistente capaz en este esfuerzo.

Necesito que me investigues un poco en las bibliotecas del castillo sobre algunos temas diferentes, el primero de los cuales son las propiedades antimagia. Lo haría yo mismo, pero los libros están en inglés y, por lo tanto, si Nightmare ve el recuerdo de mí leyéndolos, entonces sabrá lo que estoy planeando. Busco liberar al Universo de este gran Mal, pero no puedo hacerlo sin tu ayuda.

Por favor, piense en mi solicitud. No es para mí. Es por el bien de todos. Estoy dispuesto a negociar el pago de sus servicios si es necesario.

Castor.