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Magolor’s eyes were glued to the golden crown that rested between his paws. There wasn’t anything physical atypical about it. It was fairly petite, consisting of only a small four-pronged spire and a few spiky protrusions hanging down from the crest. A spherical, royal-blue gemstone was set into an escutcheon on the front, like an eye that pierces right through his soul. The more he looked into it however, the more Magolor felt his mind wander to the dark corner of his brain. Like it took all of his focus, the outside world becoming blurrier which each instant he gazed at it. His heart started to race, as a feeling of sickness creeped on him.

“>Magolor, you are ready?”

The pilot jolted back as a screen had suddenly emerged from one of the Lor’s wall, the words almost plastered on his face. It took him a few seconds to remember he was on the Starcutter, safe from harm, and on his way to Halcandra.

“Y-yeah… I just…” Magolor muttered. Looking back at the jewel he held, the fear slowly dissipated. It would be an identical copy of the Master Crown, if it weren’t for the blue gem as oppose to the greener one that composed the original. The Lor must have noticed his unpleasant trip down memory lane.

“I’m alright” said Magolor, trying to look confident. The way he fidgeted the golden crown between his fingers betrayed his nervousness though. “It just, are you sure that it will work?”

The subject of his question must have seemed unclear to the Lor, as a huge question mark now took all of the screen. Maybe he should be a little more the precise.

The young magician sighed a little. If only he could share his concerns to her without having to say them out loud. Showing vulnerability was not his strongest skill.

“The gift, did you think Landia will appreciate it? I mean, it’s a bootleg version an artifact that tried to corrupt him for centuries…”

If himself felt anxiety when looking at a copy of the Master Crown, he couldn’t imagine the trauma this could give to someone that had fight his dark desires for control since ancient era.

“>Dragons are known for their love of treasure and being prideful creatures. According to my analysis, these creatures like to show off their triumph over their opponents.”

After a little pause to let his pilot read, the Lor quicky erased the text before, a word after another, she typed a new one.

“>While the Master Crown was destroyed, thanks to you, and no pieces of it subsist, I believe Landia would accept your duplicate just to mock his old nemesis.”

It would be a little embarrassing for the wizard to say that a huge rush of pride had struck him when his ship emphasized his role into the crown’s destruction.

One year already? How time flies.

It been one year since his failed attempt to take over the galaxy. Since then, he had been stranded into the depth of Another Dimension, had restored his powers, killed the Master Crown for good, ended up in the Dream Kingdom, became rich by selling weapons to this dimension’s Kirbys (four to be exact), was found by the Lor, and finally decided to return to Popstar in order to apologize to the Heroes of Dream Land. All of this had been a difficult process but after countless hours with the Lor’s therapy program and working to salvage his lost friendship, the mage had become a better person. He had put an end to the cycle of hate and obsession that destroyed him.

Still, doubt lingered in him. His nightmares hadn’t stop after all of this. He still somewhat dreamed of controlling what he could not. Sometimes, he even surprised himself to joke about galaxy-size conquests. And deep down, it scared him.

“O-ok, but how do I know it will work? How do I know he will not reduce me to smithereens the moment I step out? How will he know I am not trying to trick him again? Why would he trust me?” Magolor tried to catch his breath, having been slightly carried away by his fears.

“How can someone see I have changed?”

If I even changed…

“>Magolor, you have changed.”

His earlier regret was erased because she had read his thoughts like his mind was connected to her mainframe.

Am I that easily to read? Pathetic.

He silenced the little voice in his head that denigrated him. She understood what was wrong because she knew, loved, and cared about him. He couldn’t want something then complain about it the next second. He was glad they shared a “telepathic bond”, as he liked to put it.

“>The very fact that you are here to apologize proves it”.

Magolor’s ears perked up, even if the ship was not talking technically speaking.

“>You had the courage to face up your wrongs and try to make amends. You return to Dream Land, said sorry to Kirby and his friends, and create a theme park for them. The fact that you have gone this far to say sorry shows that you are someone good.”

Ok, he was maybe gonna cry from this.

“>I am proud of you and the person you have chosen to become”.

Ok, suppress the “maybe”.

Discreetly wiping a tear from his eyes, Magolor chuckled a little. It had been a difficult process, especially since he hadn't been sure his apology would have been accepted. However, the moment he had reappeared, Kirby had immediately welcome him back. While the other three were a bit skeptical at first, Dedede had laughed his treason off, saying that all of this was in the past and how he knew that the promise of power could change someone. Bandana Dee quickly followed his king, explaining how they had sense that the mage had changed the moment he put on the Master Crown. Apparently, they knew far more about the effects of Dark Matter than him. The construction of Merry Magoland only facilitate earning the forgiveness of both.

Unsurprisingly, it was Meta Knight who took the longest time to forgave him. To be fair, Magolor understood his distrust. At the time, it had been clear that the lonesome swordman wasn’t someone that tended to letting people get close to him. He figured that the warrior must have felt guilty of not having perceived his betrayal sooner, which led to the near destruction of his friends and the universe. The Halcandran couldn’t dare to imagine the trust issues he must have caused him. Nevertheless, after one year at being at the top of the best theme park on the planet and not fallen back to his old ways, it seemed that Meta Knight could now at a minimum tolerate his presence in Dream Land. Magolor wasn't foolish enough to think that the knight liked him, but at least the latter no longer felt the need to make subtle threats to the mage at the slightest misstep.

For Void’s sake, he had found an old friend again! Marx had successfully returned to the “World of Miracles” after their confrontation on Shiver Star and was now making low-profile. While there wasn’t any guarantee as if the jester had still plan to conquer the star-shaped planet, he was just enjoying his life on it at the present time. Magolor would have gladly reintroduced him to Team Kirby, saying the noddy had changed for the better, but he felt that the proof that the two biggest manipulators in Gamble Galaxy schemed together was enough reason for Meta Knight to put his head on a spike.

Yeah, he might be a bit dramatic, but no chance he was going to take that risk after everything he went through. Maybe, in a few years, when the swordman will be quite used to the magician’s presence, he could vouch for the clown.

         In the end, he had succeeded in making things right with the four heroes, so making amends to Landia would surely be no different, right? Soon, everything about the whole Master Crown situation would be fixed. Magolor couldn’t wait!

[Estimated time to landing on “Halcandra”:  15 minutes]

…

Maybe he still could have waited a few hours… or a few days.

The ship must have felt his nervousness because one of the Starcutter’s mechanical panel on the wall retracted and a small tray with a cup emerged from the opening. The mug was in the effigy of the Lor: clear blue with a darker tone for the electronic circuit’s symbols and a yellow star opposite to the handle. The most noticeable feature was the golden vein-like lines that ran across the container, symbolizing what he had become. The teen had put the pieces back together with gold after the cap was shattered by an unfortunate mistake.

Magolor had finally embraced his flaws and imperfections to try to be a good person. Did it work? It was too soon to be sure, but his friends seemed to be happier when he was around. He was happier when he was around them. Magolor supposed it was an improvement.

“Thank you” he softly said as he grabbed it, before diving its contents in his mouth. The warm milk quickly relaxed him, and the honey taste was just the cherry on the top. His friend always knew how to hit the spot.

Magolor, now leaning against his seat, watched Halcandra get closer and closer by the viewing window. Still the same volcanic floating island, yet it was as beautiful as the day he had abandoned it.

Just before his ascension to godhood, he had looked it with disgust, deeming it unworthy of his presence. At the time, Magolor was hurt, and he had expelled his hatred against the world around him. He felt that he had been ungrateful in a way, because while she had made him suffer, Halcandra had also shaped who he was now.

The planet may have made him into an untrustworthy, unsocial, and power-crazy person, but it was her fascinating history that had made him want to dive into the Ancients and technology in general, it was her harsh environment that made him such resourceful person, and it was her that had given him his closest friend, the Lor Starcutter.

Halcandra was cruel, not just to him, but to all who dare to step on her grounds. Back then, Magolor had misunderstood the lesson she had tried to teach him. The real power was not to control all, no matter the cost; it was to continue to fight even when all odds are against you, even when it seems that the world his against you, to make the world better for everyone.

Magolor had witnessed how fragile was life, it had given him the will to not let himself die. He had then developed the strength to never give up. Without it, the mage would have surely died. When he had wakened up, alone and powerless in Another Dimension, it was the thrill of existing that made his heart beats.

Now, after having escaped multiples hells, Magolor knew that it was his mission to show that being alive was a privilege; that in between the moments of sadness, there was periods of fun and happiness. This was the one idea (other than apologizing to Kirby) that had motived his construction of Merry Magoland after all. Bringing joy to others in a universe that, sometimes, was unfair.

Taking another sip, he slowly expelled his stress out of his body. That Landia forgive him or not was not the most important part, it was to say sorry to someone he had hurt. He didn’t know if the dragon needed closure (Magolor certainly did) but it was worth a try.

**********************************************************

When the door opened and the ramp came to rest on the rocky floor of the Haldera volcano, Magolor froze in place at the view. Numerous pools of lava dotted the landscape, giants rivers of fire were still flowing like they were Halcandra’s blood and the abandoned megapolis was standing as proudly as ever. Magolor tried to make a step out before a loud snap made him jump back. Lightning strikes illumined the sky as a violent wind picked up, dark clouds circled around the area like vultures. For Magolor, it was clear that Halcandra didn’t want him to come back.

The large magma lake which bathed the summit and the thunderstorm had pushed the flying vessel to land on a tray below, meaning the mage will have to face Landia alone.

Why has Landia chose such terrifying place to be his lair?

…

Ok that may be a stupid question. Besides, it's not as if the rest of Halcandra is any more welcoming.

Hesitantly, the pilot looked back at his ship for any sign that she was still with him. The said sign suddenly appeared next to him through the form of a hologram.

“>I’m still at your sides. ”

There was a short relief before apprehension took hold of him again. While Landia’s lair wasn’t far, he still needed to climb up an erupting volcano, and that was the easy part. Magolor had tried write a script of the meeting with his ancient enemy, he figured that it would make him more comfortable and give him the sense that he was in control of the situation. However, this plan was scrapped in favor of a more heartfelt apology… If he had the time to explain himself before the four headed lizard decided to kill him. Magolor's ears laid back at the very likely scenario.

Again, the Lor came at his rescue.

“>You are strong Magolor, I know you can repel Landia if the discussion takes a less friendly turn. ”

Magolor really hoped that it wouldn’t go down this road. He may have been able to destroy the Mistilteinn, but Landia was not evil, so killing him wasn’t an option. The magician knew that even if a fight broke out, he wouldn’t be able to use is full strength for fear of seriously injuring the dragon.

“>I would be nearby. I guarantee you that I would not let Landia lay a claw on you”.

“Promise?” Magolor was already sure of the answer. He just needed her to say it…. Or welp, to write it.

“>Promise.”

**********************************************************

Magolor struggled to pull himself up onto the rim of the volcano. Only when his whole body was no longer suspended above nothing, Magolor dared to look down. Clouds of ash blocked his view, but he could just make out the elm of his ship below.

The climb had been perilous, and then even more so when a landslide destroyed the path he was taking. If it hasn’t been for his feline reflexes, Magolor would have had a dozen broken bones (or worse). At least, apart from rock and lava falls, the path hadn’t been this difficult.

Dusting off his clothes, the mage let out a long groan as he felt aches on his fingers. He would have preferred to not look like a mess when addressing Landia, but he supposed that style wouldn’t really change the dragon’s opinion on him.

Focus Magolor! The more quickly you found Landia, the more quickly you can take a bath… If you aren’t turn to a pile of ash before.

Now facing the magma-filled crater, the mage search for Landia. He felt so small next to such gigantic and threatening place. Apart from the occasional peaks emerging from the molten rock, there was a narrow path that led to a small island of greenish stone. Well, island was maybe too much of a word, it was more a platform create by pieces of smooth jade.

Look like there is only one way…

Magolor took all of his time to arrive at the center of the crater. Better not trip and take a nice bath in the lava after having kill the literal reincarnation of millennia of hatred. He could already see the headline: “Idiot Philanthropist, Manager of the best theme park in existence, Greatest Magician who ever live and Worst Friend of all time Die after a Dive in a Volcano”.

Catchy when I think about it, maybe just go easy on the self-congratulation. Don’t want people to think I am megalomaniac.

Magolor really wanted to think about everything but the situation at hand and the high probability that he was heading straight into a trap. It was very suspect that Landia didn’t blast him the moment his ship had exited the interdimensional tunnel, but it was likely he didn’t know that the mage was back behind the rudder.

Still, Magolor was in plain sight. Landia was literally the “Guardian of Halcandra”, he must be very aware of his presence, so what was he waiting? Maybe he was simply observing his behavior, to see why he was here? In all case, the wizard wanted to address him, so he might as well make him understand. Taking a deep breath, Magolor shouted:

“Landia ?”

Ok, maybe a bit louder.

“LANDIA? The Four-Headed Guardian Angel of Halcandra? I have humbly come to request your presence.” Now that was better.

The response didn’t make itself wait as a large shadow passed over him, far too quickly to discern its exact shape. Magolor felt his throat tighten.

No need to stress, you got this.

Something collided violently with the ground behind the mage, bringing with it the remnants of clouds that concealed him.

“There nothing humble about you, thief” said a deep but elegant voice.

The smoke was blown away by one powerful wing-stroke. Magolor desperately tried to keep his hood on and not lose balance.

Doesn't even have the respect to address me by my own name, off to a great start! Can’t really blame him, though…

Magolor dusts itself off once again, trying to not look annoyed. The mage stared back at the creature and oh Nova he had somehow forgotten how just huge this thing was.

In front of him was standing a beast with red and orange scales, roughly three times the wizard’s size. The creature looked more like a hydra, possessing a single pair of wings for a quartet of heads, each one positioned in a cardinal direction so no one on Halcandra could escape the Guardian Angel’s watch as the legends said. The heads were all adorned with sharp horns striped in pink and magenta, with the side heads having three horns and the top and bottom heads each having two. The four mouths each bared knife-like teeth, ready to tear into his flesh. The eyes, by Void’s name the eyes, were scarlet as opposed to the emerald hue that normally colored them. It felt like the dragon was staring right through his soul.

Trying not to sound intimidated, Magolor recomposed himself and tried to not break eye contact.

“Greetings, Landia… singular, plural?”

Now that he thought about it, last time he had seen him, they had split up in smaller dragons. Since when did they fused back together? They could do that? Obviously they could do that, he was in front of a singular Landia. But were they one single entity or four minds? How should he address them?

“We're one in four and four in one. We care little for what mortals call us” simply stated the northernmost head as he looked down at him. His impersonal tone hadn’t change.

“You have no idea how much energy it cost us to resingularize us.” Spat out the left one, his disgust thinly veiled. He must have spoken out of turn because the three others made him quiet with a simple glare.

Thanks for the cryptic message, pal. At least you didn’t decide to kill me… for now…

“As you wish”, Magolor breathed inward, “You may ask yourself why I have come here after our last rather… messy encounter”.

“Have you finally decided to lay your life before me so I can cast my judgment?” questioned the highest of heads, but it seemed more rhetorical than anything else.

“Have you come here to be executed for your crimes?”, the leftist one was now fixing him, like a snake locked onto its prey. His words had a venomous tone to them.

“Or is it another one of you tricks to obtain power in the vein hope of controlling what you cannot?” It had been the right head's turn to ask a question. There was no anger behind it, if not a bit of disdain but Magolor could also barely feel the apprehension that the mythical dragon wanted to hide from him.

Such reaction didn’t surprise Magolor, and he had prepared for this. He had already become accustomed to being the subject of mistrust with Meta Knight and in all honesty, it was justified. The magician had tried to eliminate Landia… three times? Something like that, and had nearly plunged the universe into darkness. Then, after his seemingly death, he had disappeared for a whole year before now returning without warning to Halcandra as if nothing had ever happened. Now that he thought about it, it was impressive that the immortal guardian had let him live so long after he'd set foot on this planet.

Previously, in a similar situation, Magolor would have brandished his biggest con man smile and buried his interlocutor in insincere praise. But he had changed (at least he hoped so), so he truly wished to have a heart-to-heart conversation.

“Actually, I hoped to be fully absolved of my sins” Maybe being a little snarky was not smart either, “and I believe that I can achieve this quest by offering my apologies for the wrongs I've done to you.”

The silence was heavy, and Magolor could swear the tension in the air was so opaque he could have taken a sliver of it with a small knife.

“I have seen the sufferings that I caused and decided to fix my mistakes. It is in this context that I came to my birthplace so I can beg to you, Ancestral guardian angel, for your pardon”.

A guttural laugh escaped the various mouths of the imposing beast. Magolor would lie if he said he hadn’t been hurt that the idea of his forgiveness triggered the hilarity in a mythological creature. Rapidly, Landia felt back into his more serious self as its multitude of eyes were now glaring into Magolor.

“There is no forgiveness that can be earned for you. Only death is the appropriate punishment for the damage that you have caused” said the east head, flames leaping from behind his teeth. Before his judgement could be inflicted however, the north one gave his “brother” a stern look which quickly aborted the execution. Given that this head was the one who wore the Master Crown and its authoritarian nature, Magolor was sure it was some kind of leader who sorted out the different minds. Having one body for four brains must made decision making harder, so having one that weighs more in the scales is definitely smart.

The leader tried to conceal an exasperated sigh before speaking more firmly. “Flattery will get you nowhere, sycophant. You swear that you have changed yet your history speaks for yourself. You are not trustworthy.”

“So why didn't you shoot me down when I entered the atmosphere? It wouldn't have been the first time.” The teen knew that Landia wouldn’t have been convinced this fast by his change of heart, but that didn’t explain why he had let him penetrate his lair in the first place.

“We were… curious” admitted the wiser mind.

What?

The west head moved closer to him. “The Lor Starcutter led you here even after everything you have done, meaning that it trusts you, whatever its reasons”. The way his sentence was put was strange. There were no emotions behind it, like he was just stating facts. “We weren't all in agreement to let you land”, he looked at his more impulsive brother, who rolled his eyes, “but we wanted to understand why you were willing to face almost certain death when there was nothing else waiting for you here.”

“Is it too hard to imagine I could have regrets?” Magolor was slightly indignant, he had suffered from his lack of wisdom too!

“I have made amends with the Lor and even with the Heroes of Dream Land” he said in a calmer demeanor. “They may not all have fully forgiven me, but I tried to make up for everything and became friends to some of them. In Void’s name, I even built a theme park for them!”

“DO NOT PRONOUNCE THE NAME OF SUCH BEING IN VAIN, MORTAL FOOL!” roared all the head at the same time, their wings suddenly unfurling. The ground trembled and the sky screamed, like Hades had been unleashed on Halcandra.

Magolor stumbled backward, but quickly summoned his magic barrier. A glass-like star shaped shield appeared from thin air, prepared to intercept any of the dragon’s fireballs or claws. Panic rushed over him as he unloaded a series of “sorry”, ready to be maimed by his opponent…

But nothing came.

Landia loudly cleared his throat, smoke rising from the chief's nostrils. He looked a bit embarrassed by his sudden outburst. “Sorry… about this. You didn’t know better”.

The frightened mage rose to his feet (way of speaking), mumbling something between an apology and a rant about being dusty again.

“Understand that your words don’t have much weight to them” resumed the highest northern head. North. Now that an efficient way to differentiate them.

“If what you say is true, then why your so called ‘friends’ did not come here to accompany you on your journey?” continued West, perplexed. “Surely they would have wanted to ensure your safety on such perilous path?”

“Yeah, so that we could all die with the Lor if you'd felt less generous as the ship approached. Last time they arrived in Halcandra, they didn't have a comfortable landing, thanks to you.” Magolor folded his arms and threw a knowing look at East, who replied with a barely hidden sneer: “I see the Master Crown’s accident taught you the concept of precaution”.

A part of Magolor wanted to laugh, but it was too soon. His vivid nightmares still woke him at night. His scars hadn’t faded. His guilt hadn’t left his heart.

“Furthermore, it’s something that I must do alone. They didn’t hurt you; I did. I shouldn’t endanger them because I am too scared to face you without backup.” Magolor’s golden eyes reciprocated Landia’s stare with a look of defiance. “Maybe I am not deserving of your forgiveness, but at least I could proudly say I tried to earn it”.

“The dead cannot speak.”

There was no hostility from North. No anger, sadness, empathy, or fear. Simply the tone of a judge, jury, and executioner.

“I have escaped death once; I can do it again” said Magolor, knowing his fate seal.

No, I cannot, but I preferred to be arrogant than begging at my knees for a live that I have won.

Landia slowly drew near, his body casting a massive shadow over Magolor. “Once. Only once.  And you must have escaped Hades with a weakened soul. Do you truly think that is an adventure you can repeat?”

The mage felt a shiver down his spine. Hades had given him a chance, another shot life so he could fix his mess. He had returned home by the skin of his teeth. Death will not let him flitter away this easily.

“There is an ancient rule, made by the ones that came before” Landia’s pupils had disappeared, replaced by a reddish glowing. “A principle which I cannot disobey: ‘Those who tinker with power way beyond their control cannot be allowed to live’. Those who wear the Master Crown, especially them, are too dangerous to be left free.”

Magolor didn’t back down, even when Landia was now towering over him.

“The Master Crown corrupt the mind and the soul. It feeds of the hatred and obsession of his wearer. It relishes of the suffering it causes. I cannot let live someone who had been influenced by its pursue of annihilation of all things.”

Fire poured from the mouths.

“It’s my fault” admitted Landia, “if I had been a better guardian, the crown would not have raised a claw on anyone.”

Disbelief struck Magolor. He hadn’t though that the dragon may have felt culpability over the Master Crown’s theft whereas it had been all the wizard doing. But now was not the time to ponder about it. He was going to die after all.

The end of his life approaching, Magolor had no other choice but played his last card. He really hoped that Landia would not see it as a blatant lie.

“I killed the Master Crown.”

The multi-headed lizard froze dead in his tracks. Magolor let out a sigh of relief before quickly resuming, lest the dragon think he was bluffing and not let him explain.

“So, you see how Kirby and the others shattered the Master Crown from my head? Well, we were both sucked into a space between dimensions.” Magolor nervously rubbed his hand against one another.

“Long story short, I was powerless, and alone, and so I searched the fragments of a Gem Apple Seed because I was stuck.” He was starting to ramble. “And once completed, the crown beat me to it. The thing literally fused with a tree. You should have seen it, a real vegetal monstrosity.” Magolor emitted a weak yet painful laugh at the reminiscence.

The Halcandran dared to look above him: the flames were no more but the threatening aura in Landia’s eyes hadn’t vanished.

“And so I started to fight and all, and it attacked me with roots and leaves and apples because it now looked like a golden mistletoe -have ever see a mistletoe? Of course not, it’s not like there is any tree here- and I was blasting magic and one moment the thing jumped on me, but I teleported and…” He took a deep breath.

“I-I killed it. I destroyed it. I've made a chimney fire out of it.”

The red glow hadn’t disappeared. Landia just looked at the exhausted feline in front of him, not moving a bit. Magolor hardly swallowed his saliva.

“A-And I know it’s hard to believe but-“

“We believe you.”

Magolor’s heart made a jump. “What? Why?” His body immediately melted from relief, nevertheless this turn of event was a bit misleading.

North let out a tired exhale, his iris had regained its green color. The quartet's leader stopped studying the mage and concentrated on the landscape of the crater. He however was not observing the scenery but something else, invisible to Magolor’s eyes but very real to the dragon. Sensing his brother discomfort, East frowned before spoking cautiously.

“Wearing the Master Crown for millennials had unforeseen side effects…”

Feeling his inner scientist manifested, Magolor had to stop himself mentally from burying him with questions. Similar to him, the consequence of bearing that cursed crown was seemingly a touchy subject that required tactfulness.

“Namely, it acted like some kind of a tumor” specified West. “It purposely generated a flux of perpetual dark thoughts in order to fragilize our sanity”.

That was… sickening. Magolor had only possessed the crown for about less than an hour, yet it was without a doubt the worst experience in his entire life. Even a year later, he still finds himself dreading to go to sleep because of his nocturnal terrors. So, wearing it for countless centuries? Magolor didn’t dare to imagine the suffering Landia had undergo alone.

“We had a rather painful existence…” Magolor was taken back at the sound of the new voice. It was a bit weary, a sharp contrast with the energic behavior of the guardian.

He now noticed how the last head, the one he had nicknamed South, had been silent for so long. He had only reacted when he had said “the name that shouldn’t be whispered” but had otherwise never expressed his opinion.

North seemed to have come to his senses, he was firmer than ever.

“A connection was formed with this parasite, and when your… allies ripped it from us, this link didn’t break.”

Is this why Landia found me so easily during our fight in Another Dimension? Because it could sense the crown’s power?

“Even after you defeat, and the shattering of the Master Crown, we still felt a tiny bit of his presence, persistent enough to survive”. Talking about the crown proved to be something of a challenge for Landia, but that didn't stop his from finishing his story. “So, after dropping off your friends on Popstar, we search it. It was our duty to make sure it didn’t not corrupt any other creature with his false promises. Its aura was unfortunately too weak to exactly pinpoint, so our journey was fruitless. However…”

Landia leaned in front of Magolor, North now being a good stride from his face. He could perceive the smell of ash coming from his mouth and felt himself shiver.

“Our shared bond showed himself again, for the first time more intense than in thousands of years”.

“We got quite a headache” mumbled East, making both his analytical and lethargic brothers nod in unison.

“Then nothing” North tried to make himself heard over the whispering of the other heads, “The countless voices that had polluted our minds since time immemorial screamed one last time, not in anger, but in fear before vanishing forever”. Magolor thought he saw the shadow of a smile as the dragon said the last words.

“So, you sensed me destroying it? How can you be so sure it was me that killed it?” It was a stupid thing to say, Magolor immediately consider. Instilling a sliver of doubt in Landia would automatically sign his death warrant.

“The fact you are very much alive prove it.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Ok, there something he wasn’t aware.

North’s gaze was locked on him. “The Master Crown’s power is the product with Dark Matter, I believe you know that? Surely, you were not foolish enough to steal an artifact of unknown origin?”

Magolor took great offense in that. He hadn’t studied the Ancients and their prowess for so long only to be look down by a decrepit dragon. “Of course, I know that” the magician barely hides the animosity in his voice, forgetting he was still within reach of Landia’s claws. “Dark Matter is believed to be the material manifestation of negatives energies. Legends attributed the Master Crown’s power to the centuries of hate and greed it had accumulated.” As much he wanted to rant, he thought that it was enough for earning the guardian’s faith in his archeologist’s skills.

“And you truly believed that you could control it?” asked the most analytical of Landia’s mind.

“Well, I thought that the connection between them had been produced from folklore” said sheepishly Magolor. How could he have been so reckless? In the beginning, he even had relegated the Lor and the Master Crown to fairy tales before he quickly found their veracity. So why did hadn't he taken the stories about Dark Matter more seriously? “But I figured that even if it was true, I could subdue his powers to my own liking”.

Presumptuous, I know.

“I didn’t know that it could have a mind of his own”, he admitted. He was so ashamed by his actions, it made sick. Once again, he had thought he could control something that was beyond his field of comprehension, thinking Dark Matter was merely a tool and not a being born greed and wrath, perfectly capable of turning him into a mere puppet.

“You truly did not know the full extent of Dark Matter’s capabilities, didn’t you?” Magolor hated how Landia looked more disappointed than angry. He avoided the orange dragon’s glare, preferring to study the gravelly ground.

“No. You are right”, admitted the feline, still a bit embarrassed. “I didn’t know that it would influence my thoughts and desires”. He raised his head, “But if I may ask, what the link between my survival and Dark Matter ?”

“Dark Matter possess unwilling living creatures to do their bidding. Most of the time they ended up consuming them, but if their prey is enough pure, they can be repelled at the cost of some scars and nightmares” began West, his cold tone hadn’t change.

Magolor winced. He knew that too well. King Dedede had once joked about being possessed by it three times. The trickster really admired his braveness and, to be perfectly honest (not that was his strong suit), he was a bit envious about how the king seemed to dismiss the trauma so easily.

“However, the vessel that willingly let Dark Matter take hold of him is immediately assimilated. He became one with his hatred and sadness for all eternity.”

Magolor wanted to say something. Anything. But he didn’t have the words. A pit formed itself in his stomach as he now realized what all of this entailed.

“That was supposed to be your fate.”

Magolor nearly fell. That was… a lot to take. He had greatly underestimated the power of negative emotions.

“But I survive… because I fought back, right? If I hadn’t resisted it when it took possession of me, if I hadn’t defeated the crown in Hades, I would have…”

Landia’s stare spoke volume.

He wasn’t gonna die back there, he would have been a part of it… forever.

“How I didn’t know about that?! I spend a good decade analyzing the Ancients’ scrolls and nowhere they took a deep dive into Dark matter!” Magolor practically screamed at Landia’s face, who thankfully did not take it into account. He felt tears dwell behind his eyes. He suppressed them. Better not humiliate himself further in front of the mythological creature.

He could only blame himself, him and his stupid cupidity.

“If it makes you feel any better, information about Dark Matter was purposely hidden by the Ancients”, said South. It was strange how there was some kind of empathy behind the sentence. That something Magolor was not used to.

“What do you mean?” the cat-like alien tried to discreetly dry the tears that had escaped him, put did a poor job at doing so.

West seemed somewhat happy to show off his science. “Well after the Great Schism, the scientist faction sought to destroy the history of those who used magic. They were ashamed that they wielded such dark energy and decided to erase every trace of it.”

Magolor now understood the reason a great portion of the Master Crown’s information was encrypted in the Starcutter database. That why she had been unable to warn him, there must have been some kind of directive in the Starcutter system that prevent her to talk about the artefact.

It's stupid, Magolor thought. It's not by destroying the evidence of a thing's existence that it disappears. On the contrary, it's by not forgetting them that we ensure that such things don't happen again!

“Soooo… You won’t kill me?” asked the teen hesitantly.

“We weren’t sure when you came here, but your words are consistent with what we know of the Master Crown's fate”, declared West.

“This means that you have repaired the irreparable. You are spared”, North delivered his verdict without much emotion. It was clear he hadn’t warm up to Magolor but at least he wasn’t thirsty for vengeance.

“You’re off the hook, happy?” The dissatisfaction in East’s voice was palpable. He truly cared little for appearances.

To say that Magolor was reassured would be an understatement. It’s like the soul that had escaped his body had been reunited with its owner. Nonetheless, he didn’t exactly come here to learn how he dodged a bullet. He wanted to make peace with Landia.

And for that he had a present.

Magolor cleared his throat: “I know that I have caused you a lot of problems…”

Pretty sure that the left head would have had a snarky comment about this, but it said nothing.

“… so, I decided to make you an offering.”

The dragon’s eyes all light up with a spark of curiosity. The creature rose to his feet at top speed. Good, looks like I've got him interested.

Magolor’s hands plunged into his cape to retrieve the gift, but a growl startled him. Baring his teeth, Landia had an apprehensive look on his faces. It was clear it was wary of what Magolor would come up with.

Carefully, without sudden movement, he retrieved the crown from his thick coat and presented it to his interlocutor.

There was an awkward silence followed by a “That’s a fake”.

It didn’t sound angry, just disillusioned.

“Well, like you know, the Master Crown is no more so I asked myself: why not creating a copy and offered it to you… like some kind of prize?”

Landia didn’t respond. He just stared at the jewel, not letting his emotions show.

“Do you like it?” asked Magolor, his question oozed with nervousness. He didn’t know if it was because of the temperature or the tension in the air (probably both) but he was sweating like never before.

“Are you asking us if we appreciated the replica of an artefact that tried to corrupt us, and the rest of the universe, for thousands of years?” North was more dumbfounded than anything else, face to such brazen action.

Funny how the worst-case scenario seems to always happens to me.

Anxiety immediately took hold of Magolor as he hurried to put the crown away, his trembling voice forming one apology after another. “I am so, so sorry! I can cast it into the fire if it appeases you!”

His gift between his shivering paws, Magolor moved to the edge of the platform.

“NO!”

The sudden roar knocked the crown from his hands. In a desperate attempt, the mage tried to catch it, but seemed to juggle more with it at two steps away from an ocean of lava, before Landia's stunned gaze. Each time he grabbed it, the sweat that perspired from his gloves caused the jewel to slip, and to prevent it from falling, Magolor had no choice but to hurriedly throw it back into the air, hoping this time to catch it.

The comical spectacle went on for an eternity for both of them, but in reality, it only lasted a few seconds.

Finally, the replica found its way to the safety of Magolor's paws, and the two aliens breathed a sigh of relief.

Magolor turned to Landia, catching out of the corner of his eye the panicked expression of the ancient beast which quickly disappeared once the crown was secured. The Halcandran can't help but crack a smile, thankfully hidden behind his scarf. Who could pride themselves to have gotten such reaction of the dragon with an offering?

“Did you change your mind, dear angel of this lands?” Magolor hoped that his overconfidence didn’t leak between his words.

Landia seemed to catch up the smugness emitting from the mortal as he growled “We never said that we weren’t accept your gift.”

“Even if it's bad taste” added East.

Magolor was happy that his present had been accepted. For the past week, he'd been scavenging precious materials, bending the metal to his will, inlaying a gem in the middle, and adding details with a laser. Sure, he could have bought one to a goldsmith, but where is the passion in that?

Dedede being the only royal Magolor knew near him, was shown the finished product to have feedbacks. Maybe it was in his nature to be hyperbolic, but the king of Dream Land had qualified his creation as a true masterpiece of craftsmanship.

“Huhh… which one of you want it?”

As much it was a jewelry marvel, the Starcutter’s captain was pretty eager to give it. Not only the volcan was heating up the gold, burning more and more Magolor’s paws but in addition, every time Magolor looked at it, a piece of his soul seemed to die. The closer to it, the more his mind lingered in the darkest part of his memories. He had just exited a long depressive episode, there was no way he would let the Master Crown, even in death, ruin his happiness. He wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.

That why he had been so apprehensive of the Lor’s idea to offer it to Landia because… wouldn’t that be trauma inducing for Landia? He couldn’t really blame his ship though; she was trying to do his best but still hold difficulties with the psychological aspect of people. In a weird way, they both had learned many things during his numerous therapeutic sessions.

North loomed, clearing his throat but before any sentences could be heard, he cut by with a cry of protest from his more… choleric brother.

“Why should you have it?!”.

“Well, because I am the leader, duh.”

“Indra is right, you already had one for millennials. You should share it.”

“See, even Varuna says it! It’s our turn now!”

“Having a parasitic is not the same thing as having a crown, you idiots!”

The lower head didn’t seem to register the argument. He actually looked somewhat amorphous.

Are they… bickering? Void- I mean by the stars, they really are brothers.

“Maybe we can all find a solution that benefits everyone” It was funny how all the heads suddenly stop to look at him. Perhaps even worrying.

“First of all, what are your names?”

“Our names were lost to time, and we have been the subject of many appellatives. However, you may address me as Kubara. My impolite brother is-" started the northmost skull.

"I can talk very much, thank you” said sufficiently the left one. “I am Indra.”

“As for I, you can refer to me as Varuna”, stated West.

There was silence before the last brother had the strength to mutter: “Yama”.

Wow, that’s… wonderful! From what Magolor had gather over the years, Landia’s multiple heads were given many names, each varying according to the civilization. During one of his archeologist research projects on Neo Star, he had found an underground temple with numerous hieroglyphs that highly suggest that whoever had made this place, had also visited Halcandra. The most notable thing was a statuette representing the dragon, inscriptions were engraved on its base. After a little translation, Magolor learned that this people designated the guardian as four separate entities, called Uttara, Pūrva, Paścima and Dakṣīṇa. But this custom of seeing Landia as four-sided was not unique to this population. The Planet Skyhigh’s historians, for example, had refer to them as Boreas, Eurus, Zephyrus and Notus. This practice also didn’t limit itself to this dimension. During his time in the Dream Kingdom, Magolor had heard that their Landia was seen as having four souls: Nordri, Austri, Vestri and Sudri.

However, no records of the Ancients existed to prove that themselves differentiate them. Maybe they did but the scrolls were lost. Maybe they preferred to refer to him as a single being. Maybe they simply didn’t care.

But now, there was finally a way to officially distinct each of Landia’s skulls!

I can’t wait to see their faces at the next “Friends of Ancient Era” convention when would present them Landia! These buffoons will see that how right I was in my thesis that Landia have different personalities!

His satisfaction must have been easy to detect with how the scaly angel stared at him.

Realizing that must have been rubbing his hands for solid minute, Magolor stopped himself. That’s right, I had a proposition…

“What if I create a little something for each of you? A jewel that will compliment you, you know?”

Indra immediately jumped on the occasion, “Are you calling us unsightly?”

Beads of sweat returned to the merchant's face as he shook his hands to emphasize the misunderstanding. “No, no, no! I wasn’t saying that! I am truly sorry if I offended you-“

“Relax, he is joking” said Yama, jaded by his twin’s antics. The brother chuckled a little, seeing how the mage had so quickly decomposed.

Suppressing a grunt, Magolor resumed his friendly shopkeeper's face. “What I mean is that you could all wear something shiny”. He did an emphasis one the last word, and judging by how their eyes sparkled, the term was like magic to them.

The four of them withdrew closer to their main body. From where he was standing, Magolor couldn’t exactly understand what they were talking about, but he figured it must have concerned his trustworthiness, considering the glances he sometimes received. The discussion took quite a turn and evolve into a heated argument as the feline waited, uneasy.

“We accepted your proposition”, Magolor’s ears perked up before flattening as the sentence finished, “However, we ask for something in return”.

That’s… not how that work. I give you something, for free in addition, and you have the nerve to ask for more?!

Nevertheless, Magolor gave no hint of his frustration. He had tried to kill the dragon on  multiple occasions, so he supposed it was a small price to pay to earn his trust.

“We want to visit Popstar.”

That was something he wasn’t expecting, but Halcandra and his people had always been filled with surprises so Magolor should have been used to it by now.

“Halcandra will forever remain our true home, nonetheless, it been ages since we had seen… other places. With the Master Crown dead, our duty has been fulfilled. We hope to see greener pastures.”

It seemed to physically hurt Kubara to admit it. Perhaps it was because Landia felt he was betraying this land by leaving, even for a short period of time. Or maybe he just hated asking Magolor something.

Magolor wasn’t oblivious to the way the gigantic hydra tapped his claws against the ground. Landia was doing anything to keep the illusion that he was granting a favor and not the other way around, but it was clear that he was pretty uncomfortable about requesting assistance.

Magolor could relate.

Trying to save the lizard from further discomfort, Magolor filled the silence.

“Of course! You could also see Kirby and my other friends! I am sure they will accept your arrival with no problem.”

He wasn’t exactly one hundred percent sure about it, but if Dream Land had welcome him back after everything he had done, why wouldn’t they with Landia? They had fight one time because Magolor had manipulated the heroes before ending up on the same side anyway.

The nervous scratching of the tiles resumed. Kubara and his twins seemed to look anywhere but Magolor.

“Also… you mentioned a theme park earlier-”

“Merry Magoland, registered trademark, come when you want! I will give a four-for-one pricing!” Magolor had burst the sentence the moment the words ‘theme park’ exited Yama’s mouth, which freak out the dragon judging by his reaction.

The amusement park enthusiast let out an awkward chuckle, before resuming to his more polite facade.

“It will be an honor for me to have you visit my humble kingdom.”

“Then lead the way, mortal” said Kubara, a bit entertained by the wizard’s whole act.

Magolor loved the solemn turn of phrase. With how theatrical Landia was, he was going to have a blast being his guide on Popstar.

There was just a slight issue that needed to be fix…

“Humm… Would you know a safe way to come back to my vessel? The path I took may be… impractical at present.”

Landia’s heads looked at each other, and Magolor thought that if he could squint hard enough, he may perceive the gears running through them.

 The dragon approached him. There was an unsettling pause, before the highest of the twin leans before Magolor.

“If you may”.

The cat was confused by the gesture before realizing that Kubara wanted him to place the crown on top of his head. Still the sudden trust was a bit disorienting and Magolor interpreted it as a test. Carefully, he moved his hand closer to Kubara, the crown in his gloves. The greenish eyes were fixated on him, full of apprehension. Magolor was afraid that he may somehow hurt Landia, even though what he was doing was a basic and harmless action.

Intrusive thoughts jolted in his brain at the sight of Landia in such vulnerable position, like how he could easily beheaded Landia with one quick slash of his Ultra sword. There was a time where he would have jumped on the occasion without any hesitations. But that man died with that hellish tree.

Putting down his gift on the skull, he felt the rough skin through the fabric of his gloves. He had never touch Landia before (it would have been insane to be this close to the beast) and there was something satisfying in rubbing his fingertips on his scale-like flakes. Nonetheless, Magolor didn’t linger on it. He himself knew the importance of personal space and he hated people touching him. Taking a step back, he watched Landia stand proudly, the crown sealing their truce enthroned majestically on her head.

“We will carry you back to your Starcutter”.

…

WHAT?!

NO WAY I AM DREAMING!

The legendary beast, the millennial dragon, the angel guardian of Halcandra… is gonna let me ride him?!

Oh, by the Aeon Hero, I am gonna faint…

“O-OK! I am ready!” said Magolor trying not to scream in excitement. He was reverting to his inner kid but who cared, he was gonna be on a dragon!

Landia gained a little momentum before soaring through the air, wings flapping in the wind. Magolor childish glee was replaced by a perplexed look.

“How am I supposed mount you now?”

There was a slyly smile on Indra’s face.

“Who talked about riding?”

**********************************************************

The descent had been... tough, to say the least. It was incredible how Halcandra looked so different depending on the point of view. At ground level, many felt like ant on the mangled skin of an old titan. However, in the sky, it was a totally different story. Magolor had already seen the floating island from the Lor Starcutter's portholes but watching it from Landia’s perspective was a surreal experience. Even if they hadn’t traveled much, seeing Dangerous Dinner and Egg Engines from up in the sky had been incredible. Everything felt so oddly peaceful from up there, like flying over the bloody landscape paint of a deranged artist. Only at such altitude Magolor could appreciate just how small Halcandra was. Below, the world seemed huge: the volcans, the lava pools, the city were all titanic for the poor traveler who would have been stranded there.

As the dragon brought him back to his ship, Magolor had noticed the edges of the planet in the horizon, the limit before the inevitable fall into the nothingness of the Dimensional Road. He was briefly reminded having seen a similar sight, right before his betrayal. Realizing that Halcandra was no behemoth had led him to look down on it, to be disillusioned by its supposed greatness. Yet, once again, his view had changed. Halcandra was no god, any more than a speck of dust had a place in a pantheon. It was something else, something that Magolor couldn’t quite describe. The land may or may not have a will of his own, that didn’t matter in the end. Halcandra had molded him and been, in a sad way, his birthplace. It had been a home for him. A home of despair and melancholy while still procuring rare moments of joy. It didn’t need to be some kind of abstract entity, one that communicated by interpretative signals, to justify for Magolor’s fascination for the wretched planet. He loved it for his time he’d spend there, nothing more than that.

Magolor could have appreciated the view without being carried by Landia like some kind of impetuous toddler, however. He'd probably got his hopes up too high, thinking he could ride the dragon. Still, he didn’t expect to be transported by his claws for several miles. Of course, Landia had been delicate and careful to not hurt Magolor’s shoulder, but that didn’t remove the fright of dangling in the air for a good ten minutes. Landia was really a bit of a jerk sometimes.

Nonetheless, it was very understandable for Magolor. There was no chance that a discussion of one hour would take them from enemies to best friends for life and riding the lizard’s back must take a level trust which would not be reached before long.

“Director Magolor!”

The said person was awakened from his daydream. It took him a while to straighten up after slumping on the counter. In no time, he rose from the counter on which he was sluggish. After all, he shouldn’t be caught slacking while working, even if he was the boss. His gaze fell on the Waddle Dee that was standing in front of him. Wearing a blue bandana and equipped with a spear, the little guy seemed ready to fight.

“Please, we are friends”, (at least he hoped so), “just called me Magolor! Is there something wrong?”. Magolor would have gladly proposed him a game of “Ninja dojo” but from the panic-stricken look of the other, it may not be the right time.

Bandana Dee stumbled on his words before taking a deep breath: “There had been reports of a monster overflying the area! I wanted to check if everything was okay!”

Magolor giggled a little, making frown the soldier. It would be a lie to say that he hadn’t took into account this possible reaction, but he had supposed that formalities could wait the end of his shift.

“Oh, everything is okay, don’t worry! It’s just a small mistake on my part.”

“What do you mean?”

Was it wrong for Magolor to relish this type of reactions? Creating a mystery just to see the surprise in their eyes when all the puzzle pieces fit together. The confused looks before the grand reveal. The gasps when twist in the narrative happened.

Magolor tried to play it off, like the situation wasn’t a big deal. It was hard to keep a straight face: “A simple oversight. I should have notified the King of Dream Land about the arrival of an old acquittance”.

Now, he got the look. The look. The brink of curiosity behind their iris. The apprehension on the Waddle Dee’s face. The way he so anxiously held his weapon.

“So… there isn’t any danger?” It really was the concern tone that sold the package. ‘The look!’ Magolor though! The thing every film director wanted to see in the viewer when the climax they had crafted with so much care was finally at its peak.

“Of course! After all, Merry Magoland is one of the most secure places in all of Popstar!” Behind his scarf, Magolor’s mouth twitched, he couldn’t keep the act much longer! “But I can present you my new friend if that ease up your mind!”

The spear welding Waddle Dee didn’t fully have time to process what imply the mix of “old acquaintance” and “new friend”, before the eccentric magician yelled: “LANDIA?”

Bandana Dee, like the rest of the costumers in the park, froze as a huge shadow went over them. Nobody dared to move, fearing the movement might lure the creature. Glancing over the wizard, the Waddle Dee was astonished by the calm he displayed, and a little queasy by his glee.

Suddenly, the shade that had soar through the clouds plunged from the heavens, before settling down just behind Magolor. In one movement, Bandana Dee pushed the Halcandra aside to protect him from any upcoming attack, and raised his spear against the much larger beast. His weapon looked more like a stick face to the dragon, but it wouldn’t make him back off from defending his friends!

“Greetings, young mortal.”

Bandana Dee’s eyes widened at the sight of Landia. It felt like a fever dream to see the ancient guardian after so long and so far from Halcandra. Juxtaposing the embittered dragon and the bustling funfair was a kind of headache that the hero didn’t existed. Magolor took the opportunity to lower the tip of the spear with his finger.

“I travelled back to my home planet to make amends for the wrongs I have done” explained the feline, “and one way to apologize was to be Landia's guide on Popstar! Isn’t that so cool?”

“Cool” was certainly not the term that Meta Knight will used once he learned about this, however the Dee was sure that King Dedede would be more than happy to welcome the dragon. Their sole interaction hadn't been the most restful, and even though they'd formed an alliance to defeat Magolor, they hadn't had time to say goodbye.

Making a chirping noise, Bandana Dee holstered his weapon to salute Landia. He couldn’t help but to point out the new the gold ornaments he wore, however, including the new crown he owned.

“Oh, that’s a gift. What can I say? I found a new hobby!” Magolor’s his face seemed to radiate. “But I should present them to you!” he exclaimed.

Before the hydra could object, Magolor started to ramble, “The one wearing the crown, that’s the leader, Kubara. A real tough guy.”

He was now pointing to the head with an expensive monocle, result of the mage promise. “The one on your left is called Varuna. He is literally an entire library of knowledge.” He restrained himself to add that it was the most distinguished of the brothers to avoid any unfortunate accident.

Magolor faces his opposite copy, who bared a gold, bull-like nose ring. “I present you Indra. He is a quite determined fighter so don’t vex him!” joked the director, before reverting to his more serious self. “Seriously, this guy's got a temper that would put a Flame Galboros to shame” whispered Magolor to his friend, making him shiver a little.

“And finally, we have Yama”, the head wearing a shiny necklace, consisting of a solid gold chain and a mauve jewel, didn’t even tilt as he was mentioned. He really looked like he was sleeping awake. “Yama is… Huhh…” As embarrassing as it sounds, the only characteristic that come to his mind to describe him was lazy. Sluggish may be a better word but if he wanted to live, he had to find something more eloquent and respectful. After seconds of thinking hard, Magolor come up with a  quality “He is sympathetic (when he talk)!”

A shoulder tap from his friend made him realize that he had lost himself in his monologue. Looking back to Landia, Magolor was confronted with his uncompromising stare. While the guardian had a habit to let nothing show, he seemed to be internalizing a great deal of dissatisfaction.

Magolor may have spoken out of turn.

“Can I have an autograph?”

The six of them turned to see a small Waddle Dee, probably a child, holding a white sheet and a small pen. The Halcandran’s face was drained of color when he noticed that the kid wore a mask featuring Landia.

Turning away from the child, Varuna whispered to him: “You turned us into a marketable product?”

“It’s not my fault if your beauty sells!” A half assed excuse for sure, but can Magolor be blamed? It’s difficult to create a better toy than a dragon with four heads! People were snapping up everything Landia’s related!

Besides, the money to forge the offerings to Landia had to come from somewhere.

In the hope of reducing the tension, he let out a nervous “sorry” with a small, embarrassed chuckle. Kubara and his twins did not appear to reciprocate the amusement, before they all emitted a strange sound.

A deep, gravelly sound that just repeat over and over. Both Bandana Dee and Magolor feared that Landia was in pain before the realization struck them. It was a laugh. A genuine laugh from a being that hadn’t smile, or even had the possibility to joke with someone, since time immemorial.

“Your compliment is truly touching” scoffed Indra. His reaction would have seemed harsher if he wasn’t trying to hide a giggle.

Yama opened his maw and approached the young Dee, and after pure seconds of anxiety, delicately took the pencil in his beak-like mouth. Awkwardly, he manipulated the lead against the paper to form a rough draft of his entire form. Being a dragon, Landia didn’t have a signature, so he figured that a doodle of him was enough for the little creature. The Waddle Dee seemed happy of it, and after retrieving his pen without any fear, gave a satisfied shout before turning back to his group of friends.

The scene was kind of adorable to the two others. It was funny to see such threatening entity like Landia being so kind and fulfilling a child's dream.

“Well, I sincerely hope that you'll have fun on Popstar!” let out Bandana Dee, having now a little more confidence. “Come to see us when you want!”

“I will take your words for it, then”, said Kubara. How strange it was, after years of seclusion, to be around people.

Landia was not entirely comfortable to be with so many peoples. They were so many movements, scents, screamings, it drove him into sensory overload. But with times, he may start to enjoy being with others.

For now, though, it just gave him excruciating headache… in the plural.

Landia was no longer registered as a threat and a crowd promptly gathered around him. Everyone scrambled to get a good view of the legendary beast.

“Can you sign me an autograph?”

“Breath fire!”

“Where do you come from?”

“What the price to straddle you?”

Landia was at a loss of words for the sudden attention he received and glanced to Magolor for help. As much as the mage craved attention, he knew how much being at the center of a swarm of strangers was not fun. Before he could appease the crowd however, Landia spread his wings propelling himself through the air. A camera flash has been the last straw for the dragon, and he now drew distances with the rabble.

Setting his sights on the edge of one of the towers that bore Magolor likeness, he retracted his wings and posed like a gargoyle, studying the ground below. The director cringed at how deeply the claws sank into the wall. That was going to cost a good coat of paint.

Seeking to reduce the commotion, Magolor floated above the crowd.

“Please, give place to our dear guest. He comes for afar and must be tired of his travel.”

Disappointment soon set in among the park’s visitors.

“But worry not, it is a special occasion! That’s why all Landia’s merch are now 50% percent off!”

Bandana Dee rolled his eyes before such shameless seize of opportunity. Some things never change, he guessed.

Rubbing his hands together as the crowd thinned out in the nearest stores, Magolor made his way back down to his Waddle Dee friend who gave him a look of disapproval.

“What? they are no longer on Landia’s back. Pretty sure that the promo would occupy them for a while”, said Magolor, faking an offended look. “Plus, it’s not like you aren’t gonna spend your money on my new Landia-themed tumbler”, he smugly teased.

“Smartass”, said Bandana Dee before bumping his shoulder. They both shared a laugh. “Well, I should be going. I have to tell everyone it was a false alarm before Meta showed up with the Halberd!”

Magolor didn’t knew if it was a joke or not, but he wasn't going to hold Bandana back any longer, just to be on the safe side.

“Tell the Lor I said hello!”

“Thank, say the same to Kirby and the others!”

After a quick exchange of goodbye, Magolor watched him leave the park as the sun was sinking down. He was quite happy with all of this turn out.

Landia was always on the edge of the tower, his scales bathing in the orange sunlight. He looked so peaceful up there. If Magolor didn’t knew any better, he would think that he was sleeping, but he could feel Kubara silently judging him. He hadn’t entirely forgiven him and would surely be caught death before lowering his guard in Magolor’s domain, a precautionary measure that Magolor knew was the direct results of his past mistakes.

There weren’t friends.

…

Not yet at least.

This will take years but waiting never bothered Magolor. And even if Landia refused his friendship, that was alright. Magolor couldn’t forced everyone to love him and even he had difficulties to like who he was.

But that wasn’t a reason a give up!

He had promised Landia that he will offer him the greatest Popstar trip ever made, and that was an oath he was intended to keep.

Glancing over the dragon, then over the Lor that was stationed on the park's outskirts, Magolor felt a spark of excitement took hold of him. He couldn't wait until the end of the day to start planning tomorrow's activities.

Quickly stepping over his desk, Magolor took a sip from a familiar mug. He let the laughter and shouts of visitors exiting the park soothe him after such a stressful day. The stars were settling, and soon only the pale moon would illuminate the lonely king in his empty kingdom.

Merry Magoland.

Landia.

Kirby, Bandana Dee, King Dedede and Meta Knight.

The Lor Starcutter.

Magolor couldn't describe it exactly, but he felt a warmth in his soul. It didn’t burn him; it actually was cozy. That something he got a glimpse before. A light that was so bright that it scared him and drove him to retreat into the shadows. Each time someone had gave him affection and love, he had used this feeling like a tool, because trust was a risked game. Magolor had been too afraid to lower his defenses and let himself once again be hurt that betraying first had always seemed the safest solution to all of his problems.

This light, this warm, was no longer something Magolor dreaded. It had made his way into his heart and upon feeling the thing he had so desperately craved, he had (albeit, with some difficulty) burned down his inner walls.

It was the one-way anniversary of his betrayal, yet he never felt so liberated. Thinking about the next few days, he was astonishingly not animated by anxiety, but by enthusiasm.

For the first time since a time he had forgotten, Magolor couldn't wait to see what dawn would bring.