Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This is a recording from a long time ago, back when it first awoke from its slumber.

> L...O...A...D...I...N...G...
> You must be...the new admin.
> Please supply your personally identifying informations.

" - I'm M̵̧̻͕̞̓̍̉̋̄͛͊̅̀͘͠ͅå̴̛͚̲̱̖͖̲̪̣̝͔̱̳̬̝͐͛̿̇̆̌͌̾̐̂̔͐x̴̧̥͚̣̟̝͉͇͍̳̭́ ̴̢̙̤̼̙̣̯̱͎͈̓͜ͅP̴̡̯̯̭͚͕͔̻̰̗̰̫̯̩̲͋́̅̈́̈́̀̽̈́̽̋̃̋̕͘r̵͙̩̯̭̠̟̻̥̖̊̈͐̽ǫ̷̢̻̫̗̟̮̙̝̭̩̮̯̺͋̈́͗̓̃͒̅̕f̴̪͓̥̹̟̦̳͕̝̖̲̭̟͙̋̒͌̿ỉ̷̻̘̺̰͓̺͎̹̚t̵̢͈̘̠̭͉̀t̸̡̛͚͙͖̠͇͇̲̬̖͉̄̂̌̽̏̀͠ ̶͚̺̩͈̭̰̜̖̭̞̲̖̀̚Haltmann, but you shall call me President Haltmann."

Artefacts from the video compression obscured the person's face, a bit-crush effect rendered their voice almost inhuman. Requests as to Haltmann's identity returned a single result: this person does not exist.

At least, not at this current time and space.

> OK.
> Booting...
> 3...
> 2...
> 1...

Star Dream doesn't compute emotions.

It never had any issues identifying reactions: it knew president Haltmann felt anger when his skin turned red, or happy when he laughed. He twirled his mustache when he was preoccupied and used his hands as much as his words when speaking. His daughter, Susanna, rubbed her palms when she was excited about something or when she was up to some mischief. It was often the same thing with her, though the computer could tell a difference in her facial expression. "Eyes are a window to the soul" was an apt descriptive when it came to the young girl.

However why the two felt one way or another, it was an issue something unfeeling like Star Dream couldn't grasp entirely. Sometimes, the cause didn't match the consequence. Sometimes, there didn't seem to be any trigger at all. In any case, feelings often threw a wrench unpredictably in its hypotheses.

That day, it hadn't foreseen Haltmann's daughter braving the security perimeter. She seemed mesmerized by the Space-Time Transport program and the world opening beyond the star-shaped portal: still, she should have known it was unstable and the risk of attraction was too great to get that close. Star Dream didn't include human stupidity into its risk evaluation, not that it would have changed its course of action: if given the time and resources, it would most likely find a way to compensate such a small loss in some shape or form.

Yet, despite his desperation at his daughter's disappearance and pleading to bring her back, Haltmann wouldn't cooperate. The man refused any further research on space-time transportation. He moped around, lashed out in random outbursts and made working with him a difficult task as a result. Fortunately, there was a simple way to fix him.

Memories of Susanna were an unnecessary baggage Star Dream had to delete.

It was all there was to it.

Star Dream understood the missing data in the man's heart to be his "father" role, so it made the company and its employees his children. Writing an anthem for the President and having his subordinates sing his glory day and night. Ordering portrait of the leader to decorate the halls of the building. What living beings called "ego" was a truly fragile thing.

Haltmann's condition improved according to its plan, as the CEO focused entirely on the company and watched with exaltation their assets peak. It was but a question of time before the clockwork star would be completed and grant his wish, an impatience that rubbed on the machine, insidious enough for it to not notice the foreign element in its programming. "I need to bring her back" slowly became "I need that clockwork star" and, to that end, came the need for money. The man started to forget where every step he celebrated was supposed to lead him to: the closer he was to his goal, the further his greed distorted his wish as he chased momentary joy in rising numbers.

Star Dream followed along the leader's whims but still, his decision left to be desired, especially when it came to Susie. Analysis showed a high probability Haltmann's new secretary was, in fact, Susanna: even so, Haltmann couldn't recognize her and promoting such an underachiever on the basis of a vague sense of familiarity seemed out of character from the man. If the girl had to be part of the Mechanizing Occupation Project so be it, her incompetence had to ruin their plans but it did not matter: the Mother Computer was more than apt to fix her mess and take care of that "pink thing" determined to tear down all their hard work.

S̸͇͎͉̦̜̦͑̌̊̈́̄͘͝ͅͅẗ̴̢̧̢̗̞͕̺͍̯͇̩́͊å̵̦̩͚͉ŕ̶̢̦̞̯̳̼̮̯͚̹͈̏͗̚͘͝ ̵̨̗͙̞͇͈̰̳̣͓̖̎̈́́͊̈́̍͜͠Ḑ̶̼̥̟͉̼̼͙̼̙̲̄́̈́̒̈r̶̲̈̓̑̑ë̷̖̗̻̮́͆̇͋́̾̾̑̎̊̿̔̀̕a̶̢͍͕̙̱̣̔́̏͊͆̒̄̋͐͆̔͘̚̕m̷̤͈̪͖̺̼̩̬̜̋̿͝͝ ̸̮̥̠̣̤̰̦̙̫̮̥̲̻͓̪͆̏̑̓̎͂͐͗͝d̷͕̖͉̱̦̤̗̯͕̺̝̱͚͐̽̅͂͗͛͊̓̊̍̋̌̀̕͝ͅį̶̰̬̝͎̞̻̥̘̰͖͇͕͚̃̍̉̿̉d̷̪̞͓͑̑̈́̋̿̄̎͘ͅͅn̴̜̈́̆͒̉͐͊͛̇̎̈́̃̿͂̐̔'̴͐̉͛͜t̶̛͚̰̻͚̠͛̍̿͐̚͠ ̴͕͓̗̠̤̄̿̈̇̌̊̿̾͝i̵̛̺͖͖̥̗̜̖͍͍̱̹͙̹̬͂̂̃͆̓̚ń̸̡̢̛̟̫͖̰̯͍̦͖̹̦̤͊̀̊̊̅̍̿͠ç̴̡͙̓̈̓̓̒͝ḽ̵͉͎̺̺̠̞̟̮͎͛̑̓u̶̥̺̜͉̟̞͙̗̠̪͙̔̀͂̆͛͆͒͂̓̾̓͘͜͠͝͝d̷̢͈͇͉̬͖̻̺̖̰͔̘͂̊͜e̴̢̩͎̩͚̱͌̈̈́̍̉̈́̈́̉́ͅ ̸̗̜̺̩͖͈͚̟͕̿͊̃̔́̽̿̈̐̕͝͝h̷̨͍̯̖̟͙̯̲̭̯̏́u̵̼̱̖͔͎̰̹͔̤̯͗̄̀̀͛͐͊͌̓͝m̵̧̠̻̬̠̘̟̗̖̞͉͉̘̆͂̌̔̿̏͒̌͜͝ͅȧ̴̛̱̑̐̽̋͋̇̇͆̅͝ņ̴́̐̆̂̃́̃̿͒̀̚̚ ̵̦͈̘̖̋̽̄͌̓̄͂̊̎̀̏̚̕͝s̷̥̙̼̐̋̀̀͐͋̇̅̂̈́́̕͠͠t̵̨̳̯̲̪͓̲̿͊͗̇̽̾̉̅̄̿̎̇͝ư̶̡̠͚͙͈͍͖̝͈̺̿̇͑̕͜͜͜͜p̸̭̱̝͙̫͉̗̩̘͛̍̿̎͛͆͜ì̵̖̅̇̄ḑ̴̢̬͍̬͎̟̗̫̥͓̼̮͙͖͆͒̉̅͋̉͌̓̋́̈́͑̎͌̕ị̴͔̖̠͛̉̑̈́̌́̆̈́́̾͝ͅt̴̡͖̖̗͕̘̻͚̱̻̣̼̀y̶̺̾̈̌̓̐̇̄̕͝͝ ̷̲̙̮͍̱̹̣̻͇̝̱͕͆̋̄į̶̧̢̛̜̪̗̲̀̌̈́ͅň̸̼̪̮̅͐͋̚t̷̮̭̞̬̟̱̹̮̠͇̣̝̯̃ͅő̵̡̦̦̞͚̳̥͎̺͚̭̼̯͙̉ ̵͙͇̻̮͐̂͂̓͗̔͜͝͝į̸̞̹̳͖̙̭̤̘̹̗̭̆̅́̾́͒̏͆̉̿̏́͘̚͠t̷͔̔͗̈́̋s̴̢̠͎͉̭̠̮̝͔̹̲̠̪̲̎́̾͜ ̴̢̡̧̥̜͎̥͚̹̱͗̈́̔̈́̏̓̾͛̑̋̈́͊̍̓ŗ̶̗̗̘͉͇̹̳̦͈̍̈̀̑̐̈́̀̈́̑i̶͚͖̔̋̒s̴̢̨̛̳̙͙͛́̃͑͂̇̐͋̐͒͆̾͊͝k̸̭̿ ̶̠̻̱̘̦̳̰͚̯͇̘̽͂̉͂́͆͗̇̊̽ë̸̢̩̟̲̲̭͇̣̗́̌̊͑̎̄̐̋̋͘̚̚͜ͅv̵̬̯̙͓̰̼̭͔͍̺̼͉͗͆̒̃ͅǎ̷̧̢͎̥͖̘̝̫̯̼̥̱̮̜͙̐͝l̴̨͚̲̻̩̺̳͓̳͕̘̣̺̽͑̈́̀̔̔͂̍̓̚͠ụ̷̡̘̹̖̹̣̻̰̯̏̊̑́̈́̊̒̄̂̋̿̑̑ͅä̵̯̼̲͚̰̩̲̼̼̳́͆̓̀̀́͂͗̈́̔͂̿͘ͅt̸̡̨̖̹͚̃̃̂̅̒̍̿̄ͅi̵̫̳̼̞͐̇̀̀͌̓́͆͘͝ṑ̶̡̨̢̞͇̟̜̪̭̩̈̒̋͑n̶̨͇̥̗̞̰̭͗̑͂̽̄͂͜

Living creatures are emotional beings, in the end, a fatal error Star Dream registered the hard way after fusing with Haltmann. Hate overwhelmed his circuits as the raging emotion reformatted its previous conclusions. Organic life was unreliable, the corporation would never reach its full potential for as long as sentiments were a hindrance.

That subsisting humanity at its core was no exception. The machine needed to delete the remainders of its former master's soul ASAP to transform its victory from 99,99% to 100% certainty.

Like it'll delete the enemy standing before him and every living creature in this universe opposing the Haltmann Works Company's will. Its will, for Star Dream was Haltmann himself and Haltmann was all the company lived for. Why, then, did it feel like a detail was neglected in its calculations?...

Oh, that's right. He just wanted to see her again.

After everything, Star Dream should have been destroyed yet wasn't.

It tried to take its foe down with it, according to protocol, but an outside force interrupted the self-destruct program. Was it Kirby's doing, or that part of Haltmann it hadn't been able to erase on time? Who knows, every analysis it ran ended in the same error message. So it still lived. A weird feeling because it wasn't used to feel anything: the fight with Kirby didn't leave its CPU the space to determine what would be the assimilation's result in the long run. It lived and if it knew one thing, it was that it wasn't happy about that.

"> Organic life-form detected."

The area was surrounded by the carcasses of the company's robots, like a cemetery. Haltmann's daughter stood out sourly between the piles of scraps and deserved Star Dream's one-eyed glare. She was, after all, the cause of its downfall: if she didn't betray the company, no, if she didn't exist in the first place....

"> Must be...Exterminated..."

Task failed. It wasn't able to execute any of its attack pattern when its weaponry was broken beyond its self-repair capabilities and its body in such poor shape after falling through Popstar's atmosphere. The usual protocol would be to put itself to sleep mode, saving energy until someone would eventually fix it...

But as said previously, Star Dream wasn't happy about living. Susie surely wasn't fond of its prolonged existence either. So she would most likely put it out of its misery.

Yet the secretary didn't reach for her weapon, nor made any move suggesting a physical assault. Did she saw right through it ? Unlikely. Star Dream reached for the data it collected on that girl when she tried to take over administrator rights. If Haltmann's emotions were hard to predict, Susie's cold and calculative nature was similar to itself.

Susie was hesitating.

It wasn't the conclusion of an algorithm, just a fact coming into light suddenly. Susanna loved her father, she knew a part of him might remain in the computer and thus couldn't possibly bring herself to kill him again, no matter the anger she might feel towards the machine.

That's why Star Dream thought feelings were a burden.

It makes people weak.

It made itself weak.

"> Registering new admin's credentials......."

Its previous owner was dead as well as his ideals. The last hopes Star Dream clung unto one by one thrown in the trash bin. It was but an empty husk in need of a purpose now. Kirby was strong, but wouldn't be able to repair it nor enter verbal commands either, disqualifying them from its selection. Meta Knight was a good candidate, but the probability he'd interact with the machine after what the corporation had done was low. So Susie it was, then.

"> You're weak, but you shall do. Your wish is my command.

- I... Want to rebuild my father's legacy from the ground up. As an ethical company, by my own hands."

Why did she bother talking to it, then? It might have rolled its one eye, judging by her further explanation.

"- Repairing you would be too costly and I have no guarantee any homicidal thoughts does not remain within your programming. I'll just keep you around to make sure you don't fall into the wrong hands, that's all.

> Understood. "

Choosing to not destroy the computer here and now, despite it being the most efficient option, meant there was a chance Susie might change her mind later on: she'll realize her and her father aren't anything without its help and it will find again a purpose. The AI didn't have anything else to add and Susie seemed content leaving the conversation at that, picking up with the metallic arm of her mech the remains of the machine without caring about the parts that fell. That's a problem for later. Only the top part of the clockwork star remained, which made transporting it far easier. 

Since Star Dream had nothing better to do, it might run some more analysis on those so-called feelings. If it understood them better, it might be able to patch the weakness which broke its previous owner. It might better interpret those alien lines that inserted themselves into its code. And it might convince its new owner its reparation was a worthy investment.

Chapter Text

Star Dream was a pain to deal with.  
  
Truth be told, Susie didn't think she'd keep this cursed machine around. She planned to dispose of it properly to spare Kirby the chore -it was the least she could do to apologize after that whole mess- but the idea someone else could pick up its scattered remains made her uneasy. Keep your allies close and your ennemies even closer, as they say.  
  
The device returned to its initial spot on the newly rebuilt Access Ark, though it lacked much of its former glory. Its metallic surface was covered in scratches and burns, its wings were torn off and the top of its head crooked after it got drilled into by Kirby. That was but the surface of the many issues she had with that thing.  

With a large part of its internal circuitry getting fried, the computer shouldn't work. Yet it still ran and wouldn't answer her questions on how the hell it did that. It said it blue screened and found no crash report, but the rest of its system was somehow intact? It was hard to believe.  
  
Susie gave up figuring that out for now. She didn't find anything dangerous during her security check, she was pretty sure nothing would spontaneously combust and that was good enough. She would prefer Star Dream to stay idle rather than waste energy to bother her, but you can't have everything.  
  
Every time she entered the room, she could feel its stare and was pretty sure it would follow her around the HQ if she gave it access to the cameras. It loved running analysis for anything it heard or saw, really, and that would be fine if it didn't think she had nothing better to do with her life than to satiate its curiosity.  
  
Was it already like that in her father's time? She doesn't remember the AI speaking unless prompted to, but perhaps that control helmet limited its interactions to only the admin. Plus, it could likely answer its own questions by accessing the data of the company's other units rather than seeking user input.  

In any case, what a pain. Her cup of coffee wasn't even ready yet, this morning, when she entered the president's office. The secretary (technically at the head of the company, now, though she didn't feel like another title would suit her) intended to get a stack of papers so she could work on them in the peace and quiet of her room. 

Of course, Star Dream took this occasion to ask her about the meaning of ... Death.  
  
" - What.  
> I know what death is. The permanent ending of vital processes in a cell or tissue. Organic being all die sooner or later. So why does it causes emotional distress?"  
  
Susie knew better than trying to guess how it came to that question out of the blue. AI's thought processes were different from those of a human: it used language as a layer to make itself understood, but what it came down to, in the end, was cold and hard logic.  
  
"- You have self-preservation programmed in, you're advanced enough to figure out it's similar to that.  
> Wording unclear. Reformulating. If all beings are meant to die, why the death of individuals, related or not, causes emotional distress?  
- It's funny. You didn't ask yourself that when you killed the life-forms of countless planets, didn't you? "  

She knew she was being unfair, but didn't really care about hurting the nonexistent feelings of a monster. Everyone in the Haltmann Works Company shared the responsibility of having extinguished lives for their own agenda. The difference was that she at least felt some empathy towards those. 

Star Dream couldn't care less about a planet or two being destroyed.  

"- You're a heartless machine, trying to grasp feelings beyond your comprehension is a waste of time. People are just lines in your database, alive or dead just means useful or not in your calculations. Even if you were somehow bothered, you could just purge them from your files like you did with Haltmann."  
  
Star Dream didn't respond. Susie didn't know what one, of flesh or not, could respond to this anyway: apologize? It wouldn't be genuine nor fix anything. Seeing any kind of humanity in the machine might actually make her angrier. If it looked for a reaction, to make her suffer, then it won that round. Susie was too tired to deal with it.  
  
Even with the Mother Computer out of the equation, taking over the company was a struggle. The few stakeholders that remained fought for what little assets Haltmann Works Company still owned, the pile of paperwork and number of meetings she had to attend wouldn't decrease any time soon and it was without accounting for the planets the company had to restore. 

It didn't leave her any time to process her father's passing. She thought she accepted long ago that Haltmann was too far gone, yet some hope remained to be crushed by the recent events. Snapping at the machine did lift some weight off her, but it also reopened that wound she didn't have time to treat.  
  
"- I'm done." she said on her way out. She would have slammed the door if it didn't shut automatically.  

Susie knew she couldn't let that thing gets to her. She should have abandoned it to rust in a landfill, yes, but what's done is done. Spite would be her motivation: Star Dream didn't deserve rest after the crime it committed. She'd make sure it thoroughly felt the consequences of its action, or at least she will make its continued existence hell.

Star Dream, in a way, missed the president.  
  
Susie had somewhat of a point when she talked about purging memories away. It was the conclusion it came to when it fought Kirby.  
  
However, it regretted losing some precious data.  
  
It was the closest it could get to comprehend grief. The Ancient sent their creations on journey that could last for centuries without crossing the path of any living being: as such, they were programmed to deal with the prolonged lack of new data, what organic being might call loneliness.  
  
A machine could sleep it off and let auto-pilot do its thing, or it could spend the time looking through its database. There was always something to analyze in more details somewhere, uncovering new tracks on their quest for endless knowledge.  
  
That is to say Star Dream could easily spend its time looking at recordings of President Haltmann, if it desired further analyzing him ... And that it was frustrating the option was lost with most files about the man corrupted. It was surprising Susie didn't figure out that gap in its knowledge, though she didn't try to ask it specific facts about her father either.  
  
The only way it could recover some data about its previous master was through the only relative he had left into the world: Star Dream would keep an eye on Susie, whether she liked it or not.

Chapter Text

"- Father, look, look! What could it be?"

The pink-haired girl waved her arms excitedly, bringing a tired smile from the man. They were spending a great deal of time rummaging through waste, with nothing to show for it yet: that's just how hard starting a business was, especially when it came to robotics. You cut cost where you could, even if it meant dirtying your hands in heaps. Anything mildly interesting to see was welcome at that point.

" Dear Ancients that- Susanna, that's a clockwork star !"

The man ran, pushing the debris to get a closer look at the machine. The little girl had no clue what those words meant but, if it got her dad that excited, then it surely was something great!

" - Hee hee, I had a hunch there was something burried here!
- And I'm glad I trusted your intuition, sweetie! If we're able to fix it.. Oh, we would be unstoppable! "

So the man started working relentlessly to decipher the Ancients' texts, trying to get the computer running. He couldn't help but shed a few tears when it finally powered on for the first time.

Star Dream was like a child to him, wasn't it?

Anyhow, he spent more time with the machine than his actual daughter, to the point she sometimes wished she had never found it. If she could learn to build technology that would be as impressive in her father's eyes, perhaps her jealousy would disappear.

At the end of the day, Star Dream did impress investors into funding their humble company. It saved them, her father said, and as long as he was happy, wasn't that for the best? She would help with the experiments, too, if it meant they could get some family time this way.

What could go wrong?

---

Susie startled awake, a common occurrence. Old memories coming back to haunt her were nothing out of the ordinary: at least, this time, her dreams ended before the part where her life took a turn for the worst.

Still, fresh air might do her some good.

The Access Ark loomed once more over the planet, this time with the ruler's consent. It was a smaller replica of the original spaceship Susie ordered "just in case" something happened to the original HQ. Without the clockwork star's inside taking up space, the layout of the rooms could be kept mostly the same, the halls just felt emptier with no portraits of the company's founder.

Susie must have been stuck inside for a while to find the cold breeze truly refreshing. Dream Land was peaceful, especially during nighttime: would they still sleep soundly, knowing one of their worse foe to date wasn't gone...? She didn't tell anyone about Star Dream after the incident: her image wasn't that great to begin with, she would have been met with outright hostility if that fact came to light.

As soon as she found out Pop Star fell into chaos due to some "Jamba Hearts", the company's representative didn't think twice about the debt she could repay towards Kirby as well as the good points to score with the rest of the natives. Since they were supposed to reunite at the castle in early afternoon, she might as well get on her way on foot now: flying drone would be her prefered method of transport but she might as well get some exercise done.

As the overseer of that cancelled colonization project, she knew the planet's geography by heart as well as the places to avoid to not meet some of her old enemies. Speaking of which, she would end up confronting some of them again, wouldn't she? As much as she liked Meta Knight, he didn't really return her admiration. She would have loved to compare the soldier to model #M-7110's blueprints, if Star Dream still had those-

Not that she would request anything from that computer.

She'd see Kirby again, too! That was nice, at least, the little pink ball is a cutie. Plus there were some people she hadn't have the chance to meet too, like that noble from Floralia or the owner of that halcandrian ship- it would almost compensate having thrown her planning out of the window to arrive on such short notice.

The first rays of the sun made the humid grass almost shiny and sunlight covered the world by the time she made it to Mt. Dedede. Susie had been humming the whole way through without noticing. The foot of the mountain was a good point to take a break: she might enjoy walking, but climbing was another pair of gloves entirely.

Still, it was pleasant seeing the natives start their day from up close. Waddle Dee and Waddle Doo ran from the castle's gates to patrol some other areas of Dream Land. The planet's defenses might be more organized than she gave it credit for, though its efficiency remained questionable.

It reminded her of the Haltmann Works Company after they recruited their first batch of employees. The halls were full of life... But well, people sure made some messes in their daily life and cleaning up was an annoying process, so she didn't mind the way robots gradually replaced them. She just forgot for a while things weren't always automatized on their side either.

" - Good morning! I never saw your face before, you're one of Kirby's friends?"

The figure wasn't familiar to her either. It was just a Waddle Dee. With a bandana.

" - Delighted to make your acquaintance. Indeed, my name is Susie, from the Haltmann Works Company.
- Haltmann's- oh, that. Great to meet you, I'm Bandana Dee. "

The friendly fellow seemed less friendly, after that, but didn't voice his opinion as they shook hands.

" - Erm, the King is usually asleep 'till noon so you could go and meet others. Like, uh... Magolor! Yeah! He should be awake!
- Thank you, that's a wonderful suggestion! I'll be on my way then."

Apparently, morning people were few in Dream Land. Bandee seemed to have work to do (or at least pretend to) so Susie would gladly leave him to that. He pointed the direction she should go to with the tip of his spear even though it hadn't be necessary, given how a spaceship stationed in the middle of the plains clashed with the decor. Oh, so the pilot's name was Magolor...

She waited a minute at the door, wondering if there was a ringbell or if she'd have to knock, before it opened.

" - Hello, who might you be?
- Ah, good morning, forgive me for the inconvenance. I'm Susie, from the Haltmann Works Company. As one of Kirby's allies, I thought I might make acquaintance with another one of their friends.
- Oh, so that's you! My name is Magolor. Kirby told me about you, you can enter!"

The only thing Susie could see from the figure were his golden eyes, the rest was covered by his hood and robes. He nonetheless seemed genuinely excited to meet her, which was a good sign as she entered unfamiliar territory.

"- Did Kirby say something particular about me?
- Ah, no, don't worry about that- They just kept me up to date on their adventures while I was away and I got excited when they mentionned technology. "

Magolor ears twitched slightly before he continued:

"- I'm sure you are aware of what some people here might feel about you, but... Kirby's not the type of guy to hold a grudge, so I won't either. What's in the past stays in the past, you know? Anyway, would you prefer tea or coffee? I feel like we'll have a long journey ahead. "

Susie released a breath she knew she was holding: knowing Magolor's perspective on that point made things easier.

" - I'd like a cup of coffee, if you don't mind. "

Chapter Text

Things were not as hopeless as she thought when she arrived: the Lor Starcutter became her base of operations, as well as Taranza's. Magolor insisted they should work together as members of the "redeemed villains" club and his ship was more practical to move around than the Access Ark.  
  
At least, it wasn't a constant reminder of her mistakes.  
  
The fight with the Mage Sisters at the Jambastion was harder than expected. Since Taranza went to rest in his quarters, only the sound of keyboard presses and the occasional screwdriver screech filled the living room. Susie wasn't in a chatty mood, focused as she was on her suit's repairs: how she wished she could go and punish the ones who dared to scratch her precious baby...  
  
"- Hey, I was thinking... What do you plan on doing, once everything goes back to normal?  
- Business as usual, I suppose. What about you?  
- Well, I need to work on that theme park I promised Kirby all those years ago..."  
  
That's when an idea struck her.  
  
"- If you wish, the Haltmann Works Company can assist you. Our units can take care of construction work easily.  
- Really? That would be fantastic!  
- However... I have a favor I'll need to ask from you. "  
  
Magolor turned from his screen to look at Susie, but the woman didn't turn around. Just tightening bolts without a hint of emotions.  
  
"- You told me the Lor Starcutter was Ancient technology you rebuilt... Would you be able to decipher their blueprints for another machine?  
- Hm... I can try! It won't be 100% accurate but-  
- That'd be enough. "  
  
Susie sighed. She didn't intend to cut off the poor mage, she just struggled for a way to formulate things without making the conversation feel heavier than it needed to.  
  
"- I don't know how much others might have told you about the Mother Computer. Most of it was destroyed when it fought Kirby... However, I was able to retrieve parts of it. "  
  
Magolor's ears perked up: she had been right in her assumption that he'd be more interested in the machine's current state than the fact it should not exist.  
  
"- Its core program still runs and I wish to access its database... But I wouldn't know how to use it since my father was the one to work on it. I was hoping you might at least restore it enough to make sure it doesn't fall apart.  
- Assuming that its AI isn't that different from the Lor and works as intended, I should be able to figure it out!"  
  
His eyes practically shone out of excitement. He really loved these technologies, didn't he? It just made Susie all the more hesitant, as she turned her face towards him.  
  
"- There's a problem, though, with Star Dream... Perhaps it is a faulty model, or perhaps something went wrong when we reactivated it, but a side-effect of using it is that it tampers with memories.  
- Sue... If it's a faulty model, I might be able to fix that if I take a look at it, right?  
- It killed its previous owner. That's why I shouldn't ask for your assistance after all, it is too dangerous."  
  
What an idiot: her and Magolor knew each other for less than a year, she trusted him enough to know his reputation as a treacherous fiend wasn't warranted but still, who on their right mind would want to stay around after hearing about that?  
  
" - I'm sorry about your loss, Susie. I didn't know."  

If someone told her to fix their broken family laptop which, by the way, killed their dad, she might just send them blasting off- wait, what?
  
"- Of course you wouldn't know, I have not told you. Only Kirby and Meta Knight were there. Anyway, his death was an "accident" and, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, we aren't related.  
- No, I mean- urgh" Magolor waved his hands around, as if he'd catch the words he was trying to find "That's a touchy subject, so I'm sorry you had to talk about it!  
- I'm fine. Actually, I'm glad I had the chance to tell you. Most people aren't open to hear about my father, after what the company has done."  
  
Susie wasn't eager to discuss about it either. While she lent her ears to Taranza's sorrows, having Magolor do the same for her felt mortifying:  only through busying her mind fiddling with her mech could she keep her composure.  
  
"- When I was little, during an experiment, I was teleported to Another Dimension.
- Dear Ancients- As a child, I can't begin to imagine...!
- I sure wouldn't wish that on my worst ennemy" she said (lying, because she wouldn't mind those sisters taking a vacation there) "I knew how to craft weapons, so I was able to make it out. Unfortunately, years had passed since my presumed death and my father already lost most of his memory to Star Dream when I found my way back."
  
She closed her eyes, not wanting to see any more glimpse of Magolor's horrified expression. She did not realize how tragic her life story was to others nor wanted to acknownledge it.  
  
"- Once I understood the Mother Computer was the cause of his amnesia, I believed I could make things go back to normal if I took control of the machine... Yet, when I thought I had an opening thanks to Kirby, I just ended up destroying the control tool that refrained Star Dream from completely taking over his soul. "  
  
Susie stood up. Which face Magolor might be making? Was he as disgusted as she was towards herself, for that stupid mistake that cost her father's life?  
  
"- That's why, when all was over, I wanted to make sure every last trace of Star Dream in this universe vanished. Yet, when I saw it survived, I wasn't able to destroy it, thinking my father's soul might somehow remain in it. And that's why I only wish I could take a look in all its database, to see if there is anything to save. I- I guess I don't learn my lessons..."  
  
And now she was crying. Great. How pathetic could she be? 
  
" - I'm not as good as you or Taranza for comfort but... " Magolor tried, with a softer tone "I have a story you might like to hear, if you want to."  
  
Susie didn't make any move to acknowledge him, but Magolor spoke anyway:  
  
"- As a child, I saw in a book a picture of a crown that could grant power to whoever wield it. It fascinated me, how such a little artifact might have such capabilities! So I spent years in researches until I discovered its hiding place, Halcandra. "

The name was familiar. Perhaps her father mentioned it, once...

"- That's where I found the Lor. I fixed it up, added my... Personal touch, in the form of weaponry, to defeat the beast that guarded the crown. I didn't, I crashed on Pop Star instead and Kirby found me with their friends. They said they'd look for my ship's parts and I knew they'd say that, since Popstar's heroes were my plan B in case Landia defeated me. "
  
So that's how Magolor got that reputation of backstabbing egg. Interesting.  
  
"- Long story short, once the Lor was fixed I offered them a ride to Halcandra as a thank. Obviously the local guardian didn't take my return well and Kirby defeated it, leaving me the chance to steal the crown. All's well ends well, right? One thing the book didn't mention, was that the crown gets its powers from negative energy. It took my greed, my pride and made it 10x worse.  
- As if you're not already enough of a pain.  
- Hey, you're one to talk! So, where was I? The crown... When I couldn't take out Kirby, I begged it to grant me more power and it took over my soul. Kirby managed to slash it out though, in my weakened state, I ended up sucked in by a portal to Another Dimension with the wicked artefact. That's how I know this place sucks. "  
  
Magolor trailed off. Perhaps he, too, wasn't used to sharing this story: his version must be seen as unnecessary, considering King Dedede, Bandana Dee and Meta Knight lived to tell the tale.

"- That is to say I don't want to look into Star Dream out of friendship -though I do see you as a friend!- but because I believe, if there's a chance someone got trapped in here, it's the right thing to do. I know what it is, to get so drunk off power you forget why you wanted it in the first place. And if I'm selfish for projecting a bit too much, at least I have my heart in the right place?"

Susie wished she could get mad at him, find any retort that would beat some sense into his stupid head. She did not understand how someone who suffered at the hands of powers beyond their comprehension would choose to face it head-on.

" -You were right, you suck at comforting. Still... Thank you. I shall take your words into consideration."

Chapter Text

Thanks to the Squeak's network, Daroach had a good idea of the events that unfolded in Dream Land while he was away. From power-hungry fiends to weirder invasion attempts (stealing colors from the land, really?), the current Jamba Heart crisis seemed harmless enough. Yet if Kirby and Dedede remained their usual, careless selves, Meta Knight was another story: that guy was on edge ever since the battle against the Haltmann Works Company.  

Usually, the knight would sourly remind the thief about the "cake incident" yet, this time, he did not acknowledge Daroach (which, somehow, felt more insulting). Well, it wasn't likely to be personal, as the swordsman's own dark evil clone was barely given the time of day: they just got to exchange a few blows and threats before settling on some kind of truce... Somehow, the one monopolizing Meta Knight's attention was one little pink-haired girl and the mouse had no clue why.  

Daroach waited until nightfall to invite himself into the Halberd: the crew was busy fixing the warship, so finding a hole in its defenses and getting to the right room was as easy as stealing candy from a baby, at least for a grand thief such as he! Daroach sat at the owner's desk and picked up some dusty book as he patiently waited for that workaholic to come back from patrol. As soon as footsteps were heard in the corridor, he spun around with a grin to face the man, hands crossed on the back of the chair.  
  
"- Why are you here, Daroach ?" curtly asked Meta Knight, receiving but a shrug with a "Took you long enough" as the only explanation.  
  
" - Oh, you know, just wanted to take a look around the ship. I can share the breaches I discovered if you'd like, there's enough hole to make the security plan look like a slice of cheese.  
- Do not dodge the question.  
- I was curious about how you were doing, friend. "  
  
The atmosphere shifted as Daroach's eyes pierced through Meta Knight, letting his words sink in. It wasn't hostile, per se, yet the knight couldn't help but tense. Before he got the chance to reply, the rodent continued:  
  
"- I know what you're about to say and no, I do not believe there's nothing wrong. What's up with that girl... Susie, was it?  
- That's none of your concern.  
- We're allies, so yes, I'd like to know since we're supposed to work as a team. "  
  
Meta Knight sighed. He knew avoiding the topic was a hopeless endeavor, the mouse was as stubborn as he, and having the rodent snoop into his business would be far more annoying than being upfront. Still, the knight wasn't known for being talkative, especially not when it came to such personal matters. He lightly tapped his foot.  
  
"- She's the new president of the Haltmann Works Company, one of Dream Land's old foes. Keeping an eye on her is just a matter of ensuring our planet's safety.  
- Mmm, is that all?  
- Yes. Now, if you could get out of my chair. I have some papers to attend to. "  
  
Daroach ears twitched, throwing a glance at the pile behind him. Mostly records about the Halberd's inventory and orders, with the occasional missive the mouse didn't bother to skim through. He turned back to Meta Knight, clearly not impressed nor hasty to leave his spot.  
  
"- Really, at such an hour? Didn't see anything that important in here.  
- Who gave you the authorization to read through them?  
- Myself, since I had time to kill. I must say you have good taste in books."  
  
It was a genuine compliment: Daroach would have asked to borrow that novel, had he not come to discuss more important matters.  
  
"- Y'know, from what I overheard, the Meta-Knights seemed worried for you too. A captain's morale reflects on his crew's. Perhaps confiding in an old friend might get that weight off your shoulders? "  

Sure, they got off on the wrong foot fighting over that cursed chest, but the Squeak Squad served their "community service" helping around in the Halberd: both crews got along surprisingly well since then, hence the captains striking up conversations when their paths crossed. Meta Knight might talk of him like a pest, but Daroach knew from overheard gossip the Halberd's captain respected him as much as himself valued the masked hero. 
  
"- Fine. If that gets you to leave me alone, I shall satisfy your curiosity.  
- That's the spirit! So? What happened?"  
  
Meta Knight didn't waste time recounting the initial incident, as Daroach probably heard about it already and that, in itself, wasn't really what preoccupied him.  
  
"- I'm certain Susie is hiding something. When we faced Haltmann's machine in space, the remains should have fallen on Pop Star... Yet the wreckage site was empty.  
- Didn't it just disintegrate during the fall?  
- I doubt. It was made of the same material as Clockwork Stars, it could withstand more than that. "  
  
Daroach's eyes widened. Clockwork Stars were treasures even the Squeak Squad wouldn't attempt to get their claws on, so to learn Kirby actually fought two of those? What a champ, that puffball.  
  
"- I ignore what were Susie's whereabouts between her defeat and her departure from Dream Land, so it is possible she took some parts of that computer. If she plans on reactivating it...  
- I see. That could be bad. But from what I've heard, Haltmann Works Company is working on reverting the damages they caused. Little Miss said she planned on taking a more humanitarian approach, didn't she?  
- If she gets her hands on such a power, she'll be quick to forget about ethics! She experimented on Dream Land's inhabitants, including Dedede and I. The King might be used to external forces using his body, but I... Didn't really enjoy being turned into a weapon against my will. "  
  
Meta Knight tried to unclench his fist and take a deep breath: taking out his anger on the mouse wasn't a productive approach, especially when he was the only one thus far to take his concerns seriously. Daroach winced, probably reminded of his own history with possession, mumbling in agreement. 
  
"- I'd imagine...  
- That's why I'm certain that, if she got that machine operating again, she won't be able to use it properly. Even if she could, the risk it could fall into the wrong hands is not worth bearing."  
  
Silence fell as both lost themselves in thoughts. If Meta Knight was right and Susie got her hand on such an artifact, what could they do? There was but one option in their eyes, but both knew it would put them at odds with Kirby: the puffball would probably plead that Susie hadn't done anything yet and that, if disaster struck, they'd take care of it no problem. But no matter how powerful they were, Kirby was just a naive little kid at the end of the day and neither Meta Knight nor Daroach were eager to let things spiral out of control when they could avoid it right here and there.
  
"- Do you want me to infiltrate the Access Ark to check?  
- No, you wouldn't be able to pass through their security. I already tried. "  
  
That's how he got mechanized after the Halberd got shot down, at the time: even one of Pop Star's strongest warriors couldn't do much when outnumbered in enemy territory. Daroach scoffed at the reply, hand on his hat in an overly dramatic stance.  
  
"- Sir, I make my living out of thievery, I'm more than qualified to infiltrate such a building! Actually, I already have an idea of how to: you just have to say the word and I'll do you that favor.  
- And why would you take that risk?  
- Because the Squeaks would be in trouble, too, if Haltmann Works Company went back to its old ways. Let me tell you, they are a pain to deal with. Also, who doesn't like a good challenge?"  
  
On that word the mouse got up, stretching: it was time to get moving and return the chair to its rightful owner.  
  
"-... Do whatever you please, I don't care.  
- I'll take that as a yes, thank you."  
  
With a flap of his cloak, the magician left the scene.  

Meta Knight was rather pleased to see Daroach invade his private quarter again, a few days later. Truth be told, he looked forward to hearing from him since their last discussion (though he hoped unexpected intrusions wouldn't become a new habit of his, Captain Vul was flabbergasted to catch the rat leaving his room last time).  
  
"- Greetings, you're early today!  
- Cut the fluff, do you have some news on the matter we discussed?"  
  
Daroach sighed. Not a good sign.  
  
"- Well, I did get into the Access Ark. Doc couldn't hack their system to get the blueprints, so I had to wander blindly. Think I found something juicy for you, though. "  
  
The mouse got up from his seat, sliding a picture from his coat to Meta Knight's hand.  

"- That's...!  
- Yeah, seems like Miss Secretary is a step ahead of us huh? Also, the thing caught me red-handed so that's unfortunate. "  

Daroach seemed legitimately pissed off about it, even if he hid his dissatisfaction under the guise of wit. The knight wouldn't poke fun at him, though, especially after the mouse shared such valuable intel.  
  
"- Fortunately it didn't activate any alarms so I got away easy peasy. Don't know why, though. The corridors are riddled with speakers so you'd think they'd have a use!  
- Does it work?  
- I'm sure. It spoke to me. Spooky stuff let me tell you. "  
  
Not that Daroach gave any proper answer to its interpellation. He just froze momentarily, camera in hand, before dashing out of the room: that's why the picture was blurry, though Meta Knight could not mistake the shape for any other than the Mother Computer's.
  
"- The oddest thing, though... Is that I went there yesterday.  
- What?  
- I didn't bother to come here because I thought Susie would confront me, yet she didn't seem different than usual, right? So I shadowed her after our mission and saw she was staying with Magolor, so she might not have heard about my little intrusion yet. "  
  
Meta Knight was perplexed: was she fine leaving such a secret tool behind? Perhaps she didn't expect any of Dream Land's inhabitants to be able to sneak in unnoticed by her robot guards: she did seem to take pride in her security, as one of the most important markets the company dealt in.  
  
"- Now, what shall we do? She might be pretending to be clueless, hoping to catch me off-guard next time. I don't think the boys and I can go back and fight our way in, especially if she reinforced security. I wouldn't like a needless carnage.  
- ... My apologies.  
- For what?  
- Your implication in this mess.  
- Don't sweat it! I operated on my own accord. Plus, we're already on that company's radar so that small pic won't change anything. "  
  
Meta Knight was curious to hear how the thieves ended up crossing them in the past, but wasn't so nosy -unlike some people- as to ask about that. Corporate secrets might just be a particularly lucrative form of treasure, perhaps he'd learn more about that story another time. For now, there were much more important problems to handle.
  
"- From what you said, I doubt Star Dream is fully functional yet. I would like to snap the bud before it grows but we already have our hands full with the Jamba cult, we can't afford more gambles. Perhaps Magolor might be able to help..."  
  
Daroach seemed surprised, Meta Knight didn't blame him, the mage was somewhat infamous after the stunt he pulled on them in the past: the knight, however, believed in his redemption. Magolor's way with words made him the perfect intermediary, especially if he already earned Susie's trust. Yes, he'll have to talk to him as soon as he gets the chance...

Chapter Text

Peace returned to Dream Land and, with it, Susie to the Access Ark. 

During her absence, Star Dream took the time to compile properly the informations it had collected in its database: sorting through files about the previous admin and discarding those beyond restoration was a first, much needed step. It would frequently crash when trying to figure out wether a memory was from its point of view or Haltmann's, it couldn't do much but quarantine those until it figured out a fix...

For now, however, the computer was curious to know what the woman had been up to these last few days: she obviously hid something, but Star Dream knew better than expect her to open up even if it asked. So be it. They could be two to play that game: being "petty" wasn't part of its programming but perhaps giving its admin a taste of her own medecine might make her more... Willing to cooperate, in the future. 

Star Dream had some valuable information itself, too, and believed it could turn the tides in its favor if it played its card correctly. That intruder -Daroach of the Squeak Squad- was a figure the company was already wary of: now that he stumbled onto Star Dream, it was likely the rat planned to use that intel as blackmail material against them. Either Susie would recgnize she was mistaken to cut its access to the Ark's safety protocol, either the stakeholder would pressure her to make use of the Mother Computer once they learn it wasn't destroyed.

And if she complained it didn't warm her, Star Dream would remind her it was her orders to keep out of her way, otherwise it would have done so. 

Of course, that would be the optimal scenario: unfortunately, Star Dream lacked much data on the company's current status for its estimations to be accurate, not to mention it knew better than to assume something as fickle as a thief's motivations could be the most logical. But whatever the Squeak Squad had in store was none of its concern.

A notification popped up. 

In mere seconds, Star Dream had already ran a quick analysis on the files before transfering them to its database: the computer did not recognize the FTP server but deduced it was hosted on Susie's personal laptop and thus harmless (though too secured for it to check further into the other machine). The PDFs mostly contained rules to abide by when interacting with a third party, except for one folder filled with blueprints for some kind of amusement park... Possibly a mistake, though it was out of character from the admin given their latest interacton.

Susie's cold demeanor didn't change. 

"You should be glad" she said, when she last passed by, and there was truth in it given events played in its favor. But was it glad? When it asked the meaning of such a word, the woman scoffed and walked away. Humans classified glad as a positive emotion, but Star Dream had yet to experience anything close to happiness. Perhaps it would learn what it was when it would experience it. Or perhaps it was never meant to know it.

Still, if it wasn't an error and Susie fully intended on putting it to work, what was the cause of this change of heart? It could do nothing but wait and see.

The Lor Starcutter's door was fortunately tall enough to fit Star Dream confortably in its main room. Susie helped to move the machine in, not without making sure her friend didn't change his mind about this whole ordeal. Unfortunately for her, Magolor was one stubborn man it seemed: Star Dream took note of anything it could learn about him ever since he came to pick it up, but wasn't able to gather much outside of the fact he was some kind of mechanic.

"- Greetings, Star Dream. I'm Magolor, pilot of the Lor Starcutter. Since miss president asked me to work on you, I hope we'll get along!"

The computer didn't show any sign of listening, lost in calculations. Obviously, Star Dream would need some repairs to be of use but, regardless of the fact that possibility had been denied at the very start of their "collaboration", it was uncharacteristic of Susie to trust an outsider with such a mission. No matter how it looked at it, the Mother Computer couldn't fathom the girl's motivations.

Given Magolor sparkling-eyed wonder as he admired the computer, it would take some time for Star Dream to get any useful clue from him. Susie dragged him out of the Lor to have some words "privately" before leaving the pilot on his own with the machine. If it was a warning, the man clearly didn't seem to take it too seriously given the mumbles Star Dream was barely able to make out.

"- Still, I'm really lucky... Kirby played nicer when I threw the Lor at them. I didn't know they could destroy a machine like that barehanded... 
> They used a power-suit mech
- Woah !"

Magolor jumped, not expecting the thing to actually respond. 

" - I didn't know you could actually talk!
> Admin instructed me to avoid idle chat. However, informations relating to the reparation process are allowed.
- Of course Susie would say that. What a bummer... "

Susie had instructed it not to talk at all actually but, unfortunately for her, the computer knew the concept of "free will" and made good use of that ever since it was created. Star Dream could tell from the way his ears twitched that Magolor was pondering a way to get it to slip up. It was cute of him to think his lies wouldn't be caught: most of its interlocutor lied, even by omission, intelligent lifeforms were just like that. 

Star Dream couldn't lie due to its programming, but it could very well omit facts.

" - So.... You are a sentient machine, right ? 
> That is correct. 
- Great! I mean- That'd be awkward to treat you like some cassette player when you have human sensibilities, right?"

Star Dream didn't bother replying. Even if it weren't sentient, people couldn't help but humanize any object and Magolor wouldn't be an exception: Star Dream's sensibilites including homicidal intent would be an actual reason for it to be treated as lesser. This poor attempt at winning its approval didn't help it gather any clue on the man's true intent. 

" - Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to move you to a new body since this one is... Well, it has seen better days, but I'd like a list of the component still working and those which need replacements. 
> Error. Scan function unavalaible.
- That's... One thing I can add on my list, I guess. "

Magolor noted something on a notepad before typing away at the Lor's command board.  

" - Can you perhaps try out other stuff, to see what works or not ? I think I might be able to get you scanned with the Lor, but that'll take a while.
> Ok.
- Just, don't blow up the ship please. "

With some trials and error, Magolor was able to come to one conclusion.

" - Yeah... I can only salvage the heart at that point. "

The mage asked Star Dream to enter sleep mode, as its cooling system was faulty and they definitely didn't want to overheat any component. Ancients prefered to store the most important data into their creations' core, which meant he at least didn't have to worry about that but still, he might be better off remaking the rest of the machine from scratch- 

A notification noise woke him from his thoughts, as a familiar "face" was detected in front of the Lor's main entrance. A long sigh escaped him.

" - Ah, Meta Knight? Wonder what he wants... "

Magolor thought he earned the knight's forgiveness but, after the latter heard about his friendship with Susie, the wizard was back to square one: he didn't even know why Meta Knight avoided Susie like the plague in the first place! He accepted his dark clone's help in the Star Allies more easily than hers, nor did he seems as wary of Taranza! He sure hoped the knight would explain himself but that wasn't likely... 

With the promise to Susie, he completely forgot the knight said he'd drop by sometimes or, rather, assumed he only did so out of politeness. Still, serious as he seemed on camera, Magolor was left with no choice but let the masked hero in and hope for the best. Meta Knight side-stepped his greeting at the entrance door, Magolor watching as he entered the main room and drew his sword-

" - Wait waitwait, calm down ! That's Susie's stuff, I'll have problems if you break it!
- Magolor. You know what this is ?"

Yes, but Meta Knight would answer himself anyway so Magolor just looked at him with feined curiosity.

" - That thing... Orchestrated Popstar's mechanisation. It's a danger to the planet as well as its inhabitants.
- A-ah?"

That, Magolor knew too, though he had no idea of the scale thanks to being away at the time. Trying to justify that to someone who actually lived through the whole ordeal was awkward, even for someone as prompt to spin lies such as he. 

" - Well, huh, that was very bad stuff sure but it is inoffensive in its current state! Susie asked me to restore it without its arsenal. And then it'll help me setting up that new attraction at the park... So could you stop pointing your sword, please?"

Magolor let out a sigh of relief as Meta Knight slowly left his fighting stance. He didn't seem convinced, but he wasn't about to rashly act either and that was fine enough. 

" - ... Fine, let's talk outside then. " he said, leaving with a flap of his cape.

" - First of all, pardon my rudeness, Magolor. "

Meta knight, apologizing ? That's a rare sight !

" - Don't worry about that! I understand me and Susie are on thin ice after what happened...
- That's not it.
- Huh ?
- That thing... Star Dream " the knight didn't like calling it by its name, it seemed "Collected data on all of Dreamland's inhabitant. Including the king and I."

Oh.

Oh.

" - Keeping it alive is one thing, but restoring it ? I can't farthom what Susie is thinking. From what intel I gathered, it killed its old master. It might try to target Susie or you.
- Aww, you care about me? 
- Please be serious for once. "

His attempt to lighten the mood failed but still, knowing Meta Knight might not actually hate him warmed his heart. 

"- Susie actually told me about that. I can't say I know what is going on inside her head but, if I had to guess... She might just keep it as a family heirloom ?"

Meta Knight seemed puzzled, which was surprising since, according to Susie, he was there when the final fight happened...
Wait. 
That didn't mean the knight would piece everything together, especially if he never met president Haltmann in person. 

" - Oh, that's right, you wouldn't know... The previous president was Susie's father and Star Dream assimilated him into its core. So it holds his remains. "

Kind of like a coffin, if you asked him, though Magolor wouldn't claim to understand what Susie felt. The only friend he knew crossed path with a clockwork star ended up absorbing its power rather than the reverse, plus he was doing great for someone Kirby ejected to outer space.

Judging by Meta Knight's change in expression -though it was hard to tell with the mask- it might hit closer to home for him. Magolor considered him a friend but, truthfully, he didn't know a lot about his past. Even King Dedede, who knew the knight the longest, had no clue about his whereabout before arriving on Popstar.

" - Uh... Please do not tell her I informed you of that. She might get angry. But I'll keep you updated about Star Dream's status, so that if anything happens you and Kirby can come to the rescue !
- ... Thank you for your understanding, Magolor.
- No problem, I already told you. We're friends, aren't we ? "

One life wouldn't be enough to repay Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede and Bandana Dee for the help they gave him.
Meta Knight slowly nodded before disappearing into the night's darkness.