Meta Knight was patrolling the halls of Castle Dedede for the last time that night. King Dedede had ordered Meta Knight to do extra patrolling some time back as punishment for being on Kirby's side, so Meta Knight pretended to be with the king.

The masked knight yawned as he opened the door to his room... And just about reacted when he perceived a bright blue gaze at him intently in the darkness.

"Kirby, what are you doing here? It's really late, why aren't you at Fumu's home?" Meta Knight inquired.

"Poy... Can't sweep, need hewp," Kirby whimpered.

Meta Knight sighed. "I'll help you get to sleep, Kirby."

"Yay!" Kirby cooed.

"But don't even think about me singing you a lullaby! I don't do that mushy stuff," Meta Knight wrinkled up his face behind his mask at the thought.

Kirby leaped onto Meta Knight's bed and under the covers. Meta Knight sat beside Kirby on top of the covers.

"What do you need? Just a glass of warm milk, you want me to tuck you in...? Uh, I've never done this before..."

"Too scawy."

"Pardon?"

"Looks too scawy. Less pointy stuff, less scawy." Kirby babbled.

What Kirby what trying to convey clicked in Meta Knight's mind. "Fine, as you wish."

Meta Knight slid off his armor, cape and mantle so he was wearing nothing but his mask and gloves.

"One more for less scawy," Kirby hinted.

Stalling for time, Meta Knight popped off his gloves revealing his paws.

"One more."

"Kirby... I can't. I won't do it. No. The mask stays."

"Like glue, I help!" Kirby murmured quietly.

Before Meta Knight had a chance to translate the muffled voice, Kirby's paw had already slid under the mask and grabbed it, pulling it down so it was face up on the blanket.

"Keke, Kirby!" Meta Knight gasped, "No telling anyone of tonight, okay? Forget this ever happened when you wake up. Please, I beg!"

"Me no tell your secret." Kirby promised.

Meta Knight's eyes turned slightly light blue around the edges out of relief then reverted back to white as he asked Kirby, "Now that I'm not scary anymore, what do you need?"

"Story."

"A story? Okay, I might have one on the shelf over here, let me check..."

Kirby stopped Meta Knight before he stood and confirmed, "Make."

"You want me to make a bedtime story?"

Kirby nodded and snuggled closer to Meta Knight for warmth.

"Okay... There was once a man living in a village. The village was ruled by a king that makes all the wrong choices and bullies a single boy from the village every day. Sometimes the man helped the king, sometimes the man helped the boy, sometimes the man never came at all. The man didn't enjoy being around others and seemed to feel no emotions at all, so one day, to pay the man back for what he did for the boy, the boy went to the man's house and gave him an empty jar.

The man looked at the jar once and asked the boy, 'What is this? How does this help me?'

The boy answered excitedly, 'It's a jar to keep all your happy thoughts in. Or candy.' Then the boy handed the man a big bag full of the man's favorite treats.

The man accepted the bag and looked to the boy, 'These are all my favorites, how did you know?'

The boy answered, 'We're friends, and friends know these things. I want to thank you so much for everything you do for me.'

But the man said, 'But... I go against you too. How could you give me these after all that mean stuff I helped the king do?'

'Because you are you, and I like you. Already something for your jar!' Then the boy skipped away.

From then on, the man's eyes were opened to what he should be like in life, and whenever the boy or anyone else needed help, he was always by their side. The end."

Meta Knight finished his story and looked into the sleeping face of Kirby. Kirby made a slight snoring sound in his sleep that was somewhat comforting.

Meta Knight gathered up his garments and put them back on, and as he leaned back into a chair to sleep in, Meta Knight whispered, "Thank you Kirby."