Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“What am…I?”

“Who am…I”

“Now that he’s gone. Why am I here?”

Sole tends to ruminate at home alone or in the wilderness, but today’s rumination was an exception. Gooey was feeling sick and needed something to eat. So, the dark matter was riding the local bus to one of the nearby department stores. Of course, to not draw that much attention to themself, they took the form of a Waddle Dee. The bus itself was packed with them and other species that were native to Dream Land, unlike themself. But that observation only made them think more about how much they always stuck out. Though, it wasn't long before Sole arrived at their destination and they were forced to push their thoughts back for a bit.

Grabbing a nearby cart, Sole began to peruse the food section of the department store, only grabbing what they thought their brother would like. Gooey was not that picky, similarly to his friend, Kirby. Sole only just recently tried food for the first time, so they can't really tell what's good and what's not. But they liked the experience of tasting foods. The omnipotent Waddle Dee proceeded to place a month's worth of food in their grocery cart before coming to the conclusion that it's enough food to last for a while. After that, they began to wander around the store aimlessly. They'd wander until they were somehow in the women's clothing department. Many a charming-looking garb sat on the racks within this part of the store. Sole couldn't make heads or tails of what the function for some of these garments were. Some were blue, others were white. Then...

They saw it.

There was a particularly attractive ensemble that caught Sole's eyes. It was a pink, frilly dress. They attempted to imagine themself wearing this garment, but they were soon plagued with a particular thought.

"Is...this for me?" What am I...?"

They picked it up from the clothes rack, and placed it in the cart.

"Excuse me." They heard a soft voice spoke from behind them. It was a teen Waddle Dee in a WaddleMart uniform. "You know you can try that on, right? You don't wanna get the wrong size, ya know?" She vocalized. She took Sole's nubby hand, and led the other towards the dressing room. She gave them the dress, and shoved them in one of the dressing rooms. "Let me know when you have it on, 'kay? I know you'll look beautiful!" Now finding themself in a dressing room, Sole didn't hesitate to put on the dress. It was a perfect fit, mostly because it's made for Waddle Dees. However, when they looked in the nearby mirror, the dark being winced. This was not really them. This was not what they were, an individual trying to disguise themself to fit into a society that scorns them.

So, they donned their sword-wielder form, wearing the dress of course. The waistline of the dress was a little snug, but it mostly fit. The frills were mostly at the hemline, and barely touched the floor, as Sole was floating a foot off the ground. The short sleeves of the garment hung loosely, as the dark matter had no arms to place within them. And nothing really filled out the bodice, as Sole didn't really have any chest to speak of.

It was time for Sole to take a look into the mirror of judgement once more. And when they did, they blushed. Not from embarrassment, but from the exhilaration. The tendrils that sat upon the dark matter's head looked more like hair now. That, and the pink from the dress really made them seem... lovely, as it somewhat contrasted from their complexion. The dark matter twirled in the dress, trying to see how the piece moved with their body. This made them really smile for the first time. "I think I know what I am." Sole uttered, exiting the dressing room.

"That's wonderfu-" Spoke the WaddleMart employee, who just caught a glimpse of Sole. "Excuse me, miss. Do you know where there's a larger size for this dress?" Approached the dark matter. The now panicked Waddle Dee points to the rack in question. "Y...You look good in p-pink."

Later that night, Sole continued their interrupted thoughts somewhere in Whispy Woods.

"I have been on this planet for quite sometime.

I have learned a lot from its people.

What is a woman?

What is a man?

When I was created, I was neither.

Now...I am free.

I can take the form of whatever I wish to be.

And I wish to experience both spectrum's"

Chapter Text

For days, Sole wandered an arbitrary breadth of Cookie Country. They pondered what their next internal discovery would be. Yes, they wanted to explore the very figurative as well as somewhat literal world of gender and personhood. However, they did not know where to really start. They flopped upon the ground staring towards the cloudy, fall sky. They were so ecstatic with themselves just a few days earlier from something as simple as wearing a dress. Now, they’re in a mental stalemate.

“I know what I am. At least, I’d like to assume that… But who am I?” Sole articulated to themself, under the assumption that they were alone in this remote part of Dream Land. They were mostly right.

“I don’t know who you are, but I kinda know who you can be.”

The dark matter leapt from the ground and materialized their blade, looking around to see where this supposedly all-knowing voice came from. All they found was what seemed to be a large, sentient onion with a purple witch hat circling around them in the air on a broom. The onion had big, green eyes and pale peach arms and legs. “Nothing ceases to surprise me on this planet.” Sole murmured. The onion slid off of their broom, and landed directly in front of the dark matter. Their riding apparatus fell to the palm of their hands. “I can say the same about you too, ya know?” Sole looked at the onion with their head slightly askew. “I’m Gryll, by the way. Nice to meet you.” Sole nodded, forcing their sword to disintegrate. “And I am Sole. I am surprised you decided to approach someone like myself. Usually my…’outward appearance’ would frighten would-be acquaintances." Gryll placed a hand to their side, rolling their emerald eyes. “Well, it takes a lot to really scare someone like me, Sole.” the spell-casting onion continued, “Anyway, I don’t know who you are, really. Hell, I barely know what you are. But… Why not be something you’ve always wanted to be?” Sole sighed. They sat upon the ground, now more frustrated than puzzled.

“When I was…’created’ I did not have the ability to possess desires, and what many people here call ‘dreams’. Now that I am no longer being controlled by someone, I have these…feelings of autonomy. But, I…”

The witch pondered for a bit, not wanting their next statement to addle their new acquaintance further. “You don’t know what to do with yourself, huh? Well, it doesn’t matter what you do or how you do it. As long as whatever you do makes you happy and isn’t hurting anybody else.”

The dark matter brought about a pair of hands, and removed the visor covering their now teary eye. The wind began to pick up, blowing their tendrils wistfully. Sole was unsure how to articulate their next statement, as they never really told this to anyone. Not even their own brother. “There was one moment of happiness I did have. It was wearing a fairly delightful dress. And...I desire to explore my character. Er- well…more specifically, if I desire to be a man, or a woman. Or something of the sort.”

To Sole, it felt like a small portion of their troubles were lifted. For the onion witch, this was nothing new, so they grinned. “Well, I'm not really a guy or a gal, ya know? I kinda just do my own thing, and not let the rules control me. Kirby's the same way. Folks in Dream Land don't really care about stuff like that. Unless they're weird.” Sole stared at the ground, unsure what to make of that statement. “If being a guy makes you happy, be one. If being a gal makes you happy, be one. Hell, you could even be both, if that makes you happy, too! Ya definitely have the hair to pull it off!” Gryll voiced, pointing to the tendrils atop the dark matter’s head. “Both? I can be both?” Sole asked. The witch nodded, “Well, duh. It’s all up to you, Sole.” 

The dark matter sat there for a moment, letting Gryll’s words of wisdom sink in. They got up from the ground, looking to the sky. “Thank you, Gryll.” The onion grinned, “No problem.”

Chapter Text

Sole was flying through the morning skies of Dream Land without a care in the world and no set destination. They drank in the views of the different clouds that formed throughout the atmosphere. The dark matter was then interrupted mid-flight by a flash of navy blue. Sole assumed it was Meta Knight making his morning rounds or something. The otherworldly being realized that was not the case when the knight approached him with sword in hand. “Halt! State your intentions for being in the skies of Dream Land!” 

The sword-wielder materialized their own sword. “I’m just cruising around and enjoying the scenery. Nothing dubious, sir.” The man scoffed. “Pfft, enough of the excuses, dark matter. I may not know your kind as well as the king or Kirby, however, I know a danger to the populace when I see one. People saw you at a nearby store, there was consequential hysteria.” Meta Knight lunged at his target, swinging his blade.

Dammit. Sole had forgotten about that. After they had left the dressing room, they were so elated with their potential gender euphoria, the individual forgot to shift back to their Waddle Dee disguise. At least they got a compliment out of it.

The dark matter used their sword to guard and deflect the incoming attack. “I apologize for the panic my presence may have caused, but…”

Sole didn’t want to harm Meta Knight, only defend themself. However, Meta Knight wanted to at the very least detain the ethereal being for further questioning. Their flowing movements made this very difficult for the knight. But after a while of dodging and counterattacking, the sword-wielder grew tired, as a result of not fighting or training in ages. “Growing weary, huh?” Jeered Meta Knight, as he flew in, sword swinging. He managed to get a good cut on Sole’s midbody. Midnight purple leaked from the gash on their body. The dark matter cursed themself for being so out of practice. They used their cape to stop the bleeding. They attempted to at least seal the cut with their dark matter diabolism, but it only worsened. “Please. I’m a person, just like you.” The dark being feebly pleaded.

It was then that the two heard a familiar twinkling in the distance that the knight stopped himself from attacking once more. “What’s Kirby doing here? He’s usually home asleep at this hour…” The knight grumbled. The dark matter noticed the pink warrior was flying in their direction on his iconic warp star. Kirby approached the dueling pair, “Meta Knight! What’re you doing?!” The expression on the pink warrior’s face was not one of characteristic joy, but instead one of pure rage. “That’s my friend you’re hurting!” The knight knows Kirby decidedly well, but this was a surprise to him. He didn’t think that his ally would befriend someone that had such a murky past. But then again, the puffball will make friends with almost anyone. “Kirby. I must take this deviant in for questioning. You know why.” The pink warrior rolled his eyes, “Okay, but Sole’s not trying to attack Castle Dedede, or possess anyone, right?” The man hated it when the pink one got in the way of his plans. And he hated it even more when he’s right.

“At least take them to the Halberd’s infirmary. Please.” Kirby verbally petitioned. Meta Knight begrudgingly nodded. He flew into the barely conscious dark matter, grabbing them in the process. Sole didn’t really put up much of a fight, either. Not like they could, as they were growing weaker from the loss of blood. Just as Meta Knight landed on the Halberd’s port, they lost consciousness.

When they finally awoke, Sole looked around to see that they were in some sort of hospital. This must’ve been the infirmary Kirby was talking about. White tile for floors, and white paint for walls. There were multiple hospital beds in the room, only separated by a drawn privacy curtain. The ethereal being’s body ached, particularly where they were sliced at. When they tried to move, they felt a twinge of pain. There was this, and the fact that the dark matter was strapped to the hospital bed they were in.

Just when they thought their day couldn’t get any worse, Meta Knight sauntered into the room with a pen and clipboard in hand. “Hello, Sole.” The knight greeted.

“If I am no danger to you, then why have me strapped to this bed?” The sword-wielder asked.

“The answer is simple. I can’t have an intermeddler go unattended, so I had this done to make sure you don’t…stroll about my ship. And besides, it makes asking questions easier.” The masked man remarked. He approached one side of the bed Sole laid upon. “Tell me, what were you even doing in that WaddleMart anyway?” He asked. 

“I went to get some food for my brother, Gooey, as he was feeling under the weather at the time.” Sole explained. “I usually go to public places disguised as a mere Waddle Dee, but…something… made me break out of it.”

The knight was jotting down a report throughout the conversation, being sure to add detailed notes in the margins of the paper. “And what was that?” He asked curiously.

“That dress. That pretty pink dress. The girl at WaddleMart said I looked good in it. I loved every moment I was in that dress…I would give anything to have another moment like that.” Sole rambled. Their mind went back to that almost perfect day. When they felt so unfettered and beguiling. It brought many tears to their eye. “Have you ever been uncertain about what you are in this world?”

Meta Knight stopped his note-taking thinking of how to answer. “There were times I questioned such things. I looked within myself and my prior actions for the answers to those queries. For you, and others in your predicament, wearing a frock brings you a strong feeling of elation. Why not continue? It clearly means something profound.” The dark matter had to agree with the knight’s words. The knight took his sword, and cut them free. “I was wrong about you. You have changed since you’ve invaded long ago. You may leave, and return to your home.”

Sole remained in the bed, only moving to sit up. “I’m sorry but…I have no place to call my own.”

The knight was puzzled, “Then how were you living all this time without any of my crew or allies finding you?”

“I survived by laying low in various forests and caves. It was relatively easy. The hard part was staying warm during winter.” The sword-wielder answered.

The masked man paced around the room for a small while, thinking of what to do with Sole. It’d be rude to send them on their way without a place to rest their head. There’s also an empty barrack room that was going to be turned into another storage or laundry area. Meta Knight also sees this as an opportunity for a new sparring partner. The possibilities are endless. “I don’t see why you can’t join my crew.” The dark being didn’t have much of a choice, lest they have to go to sleep in Whispy Woods again tonight. "I would like to join your team, Sir…”

“Sir Meta Knight. Some call me Lord Meta Knight, but I would rather you refer to me as ‘Sir Meta Knight’, got it?” The knight sternly spoke.

Meta Knight gave Sole a thorough tour of the Halberd, being sure to interject the different rules and regulations while doing so. Thankfully, the dark matter absorbed every diminutive detail the man gave them. "And you'll be getting paid fifty Dededen an hour. Seems like a nice wage to start you off at." The knight commented. "Oh, and one more thing. I advise that you do not keep any type of secret from me. I will always know what they are. Got it? Good."

Chapter Text

After the tour of the Halberd concluded, Sole was free to enjoy the rest of their day. But by that time it was evening, and they were ready to go to their room to recuperate. Once there, the dark matter took a good look around in their living arrangement. It was a simple space, having a small, barren bed in the left corner with a simple, wooden nightstand beside it. A dusty dresser faced toward the bed on the right side of the room. And there was an empty closet beside the door where Sole had hung their pink dress. 

A sudden knock made Sole jerk. They forgot they had left the door ajar. They see the person knocking was a Waddle Dee with a sailor hat. “Good evening, new recruit. I’m Sailor Waddle Dee! I was sent here to give you some fresh bed sheets. The one on that bed’s a bit old and dusty.” Sole was taken aback somewhat. This is the first Waddle Dee that didn’t run away in fear from the sight of the dark matter. Sole didn’t really question this new observation, and accepted the duvet. “Th-thank you, Sailor Waddle Dee.” The sailor’s eyes smiled, “You’re welcome. Oh! And Sir Meta Knight wanted me to inform you to be at the mess hall tomorrow at five hundred, sharp.” The ethereal being nodded, “Understood.” Sailor Dee waved goodbye, and made their exit. Sole had no idea what the man meant by “five hundred”, but they knew it was important. They do recall Meta Knight mentioning something about a library within this ship. This and the fact they recently learned from Gooey that books are quite useful in filling gaps of knowledge they were missing. They went down the corridors of the ship towards their destination, passing a few of their new crew members along the way.

The room was rather small to be a library. It contained a tiny table and chair in the center of the space. Numerous metal bookshelves overlaid the beige walls. Sole looked upon the spines of the books to see if they’d find what they needed. “Military Protocols and You”, a dictionary, and a psychology text book were the three books that caught the dark matter’s attention. They skimmed the military manual, only stopping to read the “time” section. The dark being put the book to the side to take to their room later. They then opened the dictionary and began to read through different words. But there was one that they desired a definition for…

“Woman? What does that mean?” Sole mumbled quietly. They searched the book for the thought-provoking word. 

Woman: an adult female person. 

“Hmmm…Interesting. I am an adult person. What’s a ‘female’?

Female: having or relating to a gender identity that corresponds to a complex, variable set of social and cultural roles, traits, and behaviors assigned to people of the sex that typically produces egg cells

“Egg cells? Hmm…What about this?”

Gender: A grammatical category indicating the sex, or lack of sex, of nouns and pronouns. The three genders are masculine, feminine, and neuter. He is a masculine pronoun; she is a feminine pronoun; it is a neuter pronoun.

Dress: an outer garment for women and girls, consisting of bodice and skirt in one piece. 

“Ah, I see.” Sole uttered quietly. Before that trip to the store, they felt incomplete and lost. Like a part of them was missing. After they wore that garment, the dark matter felt complete. And for once, they felt…happiness. The one sensation the being thought they could never feel since their creation. They yearned to feel this again, and they knew if they made one decision, they could have this feeling forever. “I think…No, I am a woman.” Sole concluded.

She. Yes, she closed the book and prepared to read the third one. Upon opening it, she saw that it was filled with mostly text, save for the occasional picture of a planet. “These must be the planets close to Pop Star.” Sole commented. She even saw a picture of Shiver Star, only it was not covered in ice. They flipped through more pages until they saw a page with a planet with a slight yellow hue. The name of the planet was “Venus”. The gears were churning inside of Sole’s mind, as the name caught her eye. 

“Maybe a name change would be appropriate as well.”

Midnight came and went on the Battleship Halberd. It was 4am, and the sun was nowhere close to greeting the sky. However the stars still twinkled brightly in the early morning atmosphere. Meta Knight was patrolling the halls as he made his way to the mess hall. There he passed the library, noting an open door that would usually be closed. No one really used the library, as everyone had their own collection of books in their personal rooms. The only time the library was needed was when there was no readily available thesaurus or dictionary. He peeked inside, only to see his newest recruit uncomfortably slouched over the one table in the room. Upon closer inspection, the newcomer was fast asleep.The man also observed the collection of literature that seemed to have been read, more specifically the military booklet.

The knight decided to let the dark matter be, and continued towards the kitchen. Several minutes later, the ethereal being now named Venus awoke from her stiff slumber from the desk she was sitting at. She got up and stretched. The sword-wielder made her way to the mess hall to meet her Captain. Upon entering, she noted how the cafeteria was rather large compared to the library. It had space to host a modest banquet. And just enough tables for the amount of people that operated the airship.

The rest of the crew was eating breakfast while Venus was looking around the room. After surveying the area, she decided to look for Meta Knight, who was drinking coffee with Captain Vul. She approached the men. “Good morning, Sole. You got here just in time. I was starting to wonder if you’d be here on time.” Meta Knight greeted, before sipping on more coffee.

Venus cleared her throat. “That is no longer my name, Sir.”

The man awkwardly paused his coffee drinking. Looking to Captain Vul.

“My name is Venus now, sir.” The woman asserted.

"My apologies!" Stammered the knight.

Chapter Text

Venus was led to the kitchen, which was at the very back of the cafeteria, by Meta Knight. The kitchen was decked out with current, stainless steel appliances. There were a trio of Waddle Dees and a Floralian woman, all of whom were hastily prepping and cooking food throughout the room. “This is the cookery. All meals are prepared by the chief steward and their team.” The Floralian woman stopped chopping onions to approach Venus. She had long, curly hair that was as white as snow tied up in a neat bun. She wore a chef uniform over her blue homeland regalia. The eyes on her head and face were a pale mint blue. “Good morning, newbie! You’re rather…different. The captain told me about there being a new person being added to my team. Can’t wait for us to work together. I’m Rosemary!” The lady extended one of her six gloved hands to Venus, who materialized one of her own to shake it. “And I am Venus. I have not worked inside of a kitchen before. I hope to not be too much of an inconvenience.” The spider smiled, “I taught many people how to cook. I don’t see how you’d be different.” 

Rosemary insisted that Venus wear something more sanitary before any teaching commenced. The cape and armor that the dark matter wore was beginning to show its age. It had tears on the edges and smelled of mold. Venus was told to go to the uniform closet for her new attire. After finding something that was her size, she returned to the kitchen, where the Floralian was waiting for her. She was given a knife, a cutting board, and a plastic tub to dump all the vegetable cuttings in. The learning  process was slow, as getting used to using a knife was a new sort of know-how. As the blade slid down the first onion, Venus noted how easy it was. But this was just to simply julienne the onion. She needed to dice them all. So, after the first onion, she made quick work of the others as well.

Upon filling the tub with chopped onions, Rosemary grabbed the bin and dumped the bits into a large stock pot that was set to a high heat. “We’re making minestrone today! Here’s some carrots to chop. I’ll need these in an oblique cut.” The Floralian stated, giving the new recruit a tub of whole carrots. The dark matter made note of how everyone in the kitchen was zooming throughout the zone like bees in a hive, hoping to assimilate. For the chief steward, the vegetable trimmings were acceptable for what’s supposed to be cooked. The menu for dinner that day was a minestrone stew, garlic bread, and roasted chicken.

By the time all the cooking was completed, it was time for dinner. Everything that needed to be served was in chafing dishes for the ship’s crew to serve themselves. Venus was washing the dishes while the others were in a small, outdoor area of the ship enjoying a cigarette. She could hear the camaraderie of her crewmates in the mess hall. The noise in the hall had suddenly turned down a few octaves. The ethereal being, having just finished the dishes, turned to see the reason why, only to find that it was the captain entering the cafeteria to serve himself. He glared at Venus, noticing he was being watched. “Yes?” He commented.

“N-Nothing.” Said Venus.

“So…How was your first day here?” He asked, serving himself some soup.

“It was an intriguing experience. Cutting vegetables was fun.”

“That’s good. Er, you wouldn’t happen to have any dessert prepared, would you?” The knight hesitated. 

The messman was confused. There was nothing on the menu that was dessert-related. Despite that, she looked around the kitchen until she found a plate of chocolate cake in the fridge and handed it to him. “Thank you. Oh, and don’t tell Rosemary about this.”

Chapter Text

It was a few months in, and Venus felt like she got the hang of things. She had mastered every type of vegetable cut that existed. At least the ones that Rosemary taught her. It was a fairly normal day in the kitchen. The day's menu consisted of spaghetti, roasted asparagus, a caprese salad, and a cheese bread. Venus was in the middle of slicing tomatoes for the salad when she was approached by Sailor Waddle Dee. "E-Excuse me, Venus."

Venus heard the sailor, but mainly focused her attention on her tomato cutting. Everyone else in the kitchen tried their best to not run over or bump into the man. "Venus. I have a message fro-" Sailor Dee attempted to chime in, but the dark matter woman interjected, shooing him away. "I'm busy, Sailor Dee."

"But it's from the Captain! He insisted that you report to the-" The sailor was cut off once again. "I'm sorry, but this produce isn't going to cut themselves! Tell the Captain he can manage without me." Sailor Dee shifted around uncomfortably, but understood what was said. He left to give a brief to their supervisor. Meanwhile, the prep cook continued her work with the tomatoes. The dark matter began to wonder why her presence was required for a little while performing her task. It probably didn't matter, she thought.

Hours had passed, and dinner was nearing completion. The caprese salad, the spaghetti, and the roasted asparagus was finished. All that remained was the cheese bread, which was still in the oven. There as a knock on the kitchen door. Upon Rosemary opening it, everyone but Venus straightened up their posture. A hush fell upon the room. The woman was the exception, as she was too focused on putting the finishing touches on a tiramisu she was secretly making for the knight. Meta Knight approached the unsuspecting lady, "Venus. I am aware that you are assigned to this post. However, I do require your occasional presence in the training hall." The woman continued her task at hand, ignoring the words of her captain, and wrapped the dessert's container in aluminum foil. It was then when she finally straightened out. "If that's so important, then why wasn't it in my schedule for today, Sir? I can't just abandon the kitchen to do whatever it is you need me to do. I'm needed here too."

The man was pacing around the kitchen, fuming. "Who cares about the schedule?! I called for your presence, and you flagrantly disobeyed my order." He firmly stated.

"Well, I am present now, what would you like me for?" The dark matter asked.

"Just…Come with me to the hall. If you value your stay here, Miss." The man articulated, as he made his exit. Venus resentfully followed. Not a word was spoken between the two during their jaunt to the room.

The training hall itself was nothing special. It had tatami mat flooring, and swords lining the walls. Venus went around the room, gawking at the sophisticated collection of blades that sat upon the wall. Meta Knight walked towards the middle of the room, lost in thought. "The reason why I wanted you here was to inquire about this… When I besieged you, you did not attempt to harm me. Why is that?"

Venus looked to the knight with a placid expression on her face. "I am not the same dark matter as when I was…'created', Meta Knight. I didn't want to harm you." She voiced, "I no longer align with what Dark Matter stands for. I now have emotions, wishes, and…friends. Violence is no longer a part of me."

The knight nodded. "I see. Would it be too much to spar with you then?"

The woman shook her head, "Of course not. I'm out of practice in my swordplay."