Meta Knight chose a seat directly across from Magolor, settling himself into it before beginning. While he normally wasn't very animated in nature, he was well aware recounting his life story had a way of making him 'talk with his hands,' so he unwrapped his cape from around himself, letting it drape behind him. It was a little strange; he hadn't done this within sight of anyone for quite some time. He cleared his throat, finding a decent starting point.

“Your ship's database mentions an intergalactic war that was fought here in this dimension several millenia ago. I'm to assume you know of it?”

"Yes, I've read what little about it the ship's logs have,” the alien nodded eagerly. “It involved that horrible being known as 'Nightmare,' right? I don't envy the people that had to fight against that guy... From what the logs say, Nightmare wasn't exactly a pushover. Shame there doesn't appear to be much else written about it," he sighed. “Why do you ask?”

“His forces... spared very few scribes,” Meta Knight chose his words carefully, not wanting to make things sound too graphic. “And even then, half or more of what was recorded has been lost to time, pushed aside and reduced to history barely deemed worthy even of being taught in schools. But I remember it clearly. Too clearly, at times...” By now, enough time had passed to heal the psychological wounds left by countless years of combat, but a few scars still remained. Rarely, some of the images and sounds permanently impressed upon him would haunt his sleep. He didn't bother to say it, though; he didn't want or need anyone's pity, and his state of mind was otherwise sound.

“Our records, as well as yours, have no mention of how that war began,” he continued, rather than letting himself dwell on the less pleasant aspects of this topic, “but I can tell you.”

Magolor's eyes widened in realization. "Wait... Are you... Are you telling me you were [i]there[/i] for the war? But... that was thousands of years ago, wasn't it?" he asked cynically. His face wasn't visible, granted, but the rest of the knight's body gave no indication of significant aging, meaning he likely had many years left. He appeared to be no more than middle-aged at most. There was no way someone could live that long, was there? Then again, he did say he was [i]created,[/i] not born...

"Um... I'm sorry, but I'm finding it just a bit hard to believe someone could live for that long," the Halcandran admitted, scratching his head.

“It's not as if I've lived for millions of years,” Meta Knight shrugged. “Around... fifty-thousand is more accurate, give or take a decade,” he waved a hand dismissively, not feeling up to doing the math at the moment. “Pero, si, I was there for the war. In fact, I was the one responsible for starting it, although I'm not too terribly proud of that.” He wore a somewhat bittersweet smile under his mask, not looking his host in the eye. He stared at the table before him without really seeing it, watching a memory play in his mind.

“Ironic, isn't it, that one of Nightmare's most powerful creations, one that he was so proud of upon having made it, should betray him?”

"A-ah...” the smaller of the two tensed a little at the word 'betray.' “Still, all of this information is very, well... shocking, to say the least!" he said in earnest. "It's really amazing, though... The fact that you were the one who started the war recorded in the ship's logs, and yet still live to this very day... It's all so fascinating!" A smile could easily be seen under his collar. It was quite obvious that the alien was very fond of this new development. Someone who had lived that long must have vast amounts of wisdom and knowledge.

The knight across the table from him leaned back in his seat a little, reminded of how fortunate he was to still be living when it was put so simply.

“I was made to last, I suppose,” he shrugged noncommitally.

"No kidding... I guess this means that Kirby's got a long life to live too..." Magolor took a moment to think, trying to decide on what topic of the war he should ask about next.

"Uh... If I may ask, who all was a part of the war? Specifically, your allies. Were they all other creations of Nightmare, or were there also fighters from other planets helping out?"

“The battles we waged spanned across the entire galaxy, and possibly further,” the armsmaster explained with a sweeping motion of his hand. “Though I was able to gain the help of some of his other 'mistakes,' as he called us,” he nearly spat the word out in scorn, “most of our army was made up of victims of his tyranny from countless planets. Pop Star was not very much involved, actually,” he added off-handedly as he realized it.

"I see... And uh... How did this war end, exactly? Who managed to finally stop Nightmare for good, and how did they manage to do it?" the foreigner continued to question, making a mental note to add all of this information to the ship's database later.

That particular inquiry made the knight's wings visibly twitch. The reality of the answer was frustrating as all Hell.

“Well,” he started, sighing, “our efforts were doomed to fail from the beginning, given that Nightmare's forces were quite literally infinite. Not even the lot of us combined in one feel swoop were powerful enough to reach him, let alone defeat him. I know this because we tried exactly that.” He shut his eyes for a short moment and put his hand to his face, fighting off vibrant memories of that day...

The day he'd led his comrades—his friends—to their deaths.

“Only a handful of us survived that final attack, and we went our separate ways, having lost everything and everyone we held dear.” He wrapped his cape around himself once more, withdrawing a little. “Centuries later, I arrived here on this planet to bide my time, hoping perhaps a new generation of warriors would succeed where I had failed. Eventually, Kirby's ship crash landed here, and although it interrupted an important stage of his growth in doing so, he still showed signs of exceptional promise very early-on.” He suppressed a shudder just then as he tried not to imagine the horrors that could have been wrought, had Kirby not landed here and instead been under Nightmare's control.

“I 'took him under my wing,' so to speak,” he allowed himself a slight pun in an attempt to lighten the mood, almost regretting it but not quite, “and ultimately it was he who defeated Nightmare almost single-handedly.” He shifted a little in his seat, still wishing he himself had been the one to do it. “Of course, it was due in no small part to Nightmare having grown lazy and overconfident, and letting his guard down...” he muttered the last part spitefully.

"O-oh..." Magolor was sure he hit a a sore spot, but maybe some compassion would chip away at the knight's distrust a little.

"Well... I'm glad he was finally defeated, and it's impressive that Kirby was able to be the one to do so, but... I guess it really wasn't that big of a confidence boost for yourself, was it? That couldn't have been easy to take, even with the good news of Nightmare's defeat." He purposefully lowered his ears, using his most sympathetic tone.

“For the most part, I'm just glad he's dead,” the swordsman said bluntly. “It's not really important who did it so long as it's done, ¿correcto?”

"Uh... 'C-correcto,'" the alien repeated, nodding slightly. "So I guess life has been calmer around here for you all ever since Nightmare's defeat?"

“For a time, si,” Meta Knight answered lightly. “But he was only one of many tyrants who have tried to terrorize this planet. [i]'Tried'[/i] being the key word there,” he put emphasis on that one word, his statement a subtle warning. “Many entities who equaled or even surpassed his power have made attempts on this land, and all of them have perished at our hands thus far.” He met the Halcandran's eyes directly, taking on a tone that was uncharacteristically friendly, though the implications behind his words were clearly not so.

“Anyone else who tries to take this planet for their own would be quite unwise in doing so, wouldn't you agree?”

"Er, yes...” Magolor's ears pinned back a little as he answered, and although it was hard to return the eye contact, he had to do so, or it would be far too obvious he had something to hide. He wasn't sure he'd ever talked to someone so intimidating before in his life!

“I couldn't fathom anyone being worse than someone like Nightmare, but I'll take your word for it. You know more about this than I do, after all." The catlike foreigner closed his eyes some, thinking a bit. It still sounded like Meta didn't trust him too much, but he felt he was making progress, little by little. Surely it was a good sign he'd opened up to him about an experience as terrible as fighting an entire intergalactic war, at least.

"I'm... gonna take a guess and say Kirby played a part in defeating most of these tyrants?" he prompted, tilting his head.

“You would be correct,” the other male confirmed, relaxing a little more again. “He's had help along the way, certainly, but even without it, he shows exceptional promise in his abilities. He lacks only in skill and intelligence, but they will come with time.”

"Wow. I wouldn't want to be on his bad side." The alien averted his gaze. Definitely a thing to keep in mind... "I wonder, if that's what he's capable of at his age, just what he'll be able to do at yours?"

“Oh, I've no idea what his full potential is,” the knight shook his head a little, putting his hands up. “All I know is it's terrifying to imagine it. Although my mental capacities and experience far exceed his, I've likely hit my peak by now, if not passed it,” he admitted a little reluctantly. “I'm limited to speed, flight, and the use of weapons. Kirby can wield more powers than I care to count, and eventually a day will come when he does so strategically, with no assistance.” He let his arms rest at his sides again. “As it stands now, well... there are times I wonder if he's even aware of what he's doing.”

"Ah, I see... To be honest, from what you've told me, I'm worried that once he does gain enough experience, he may be capable of destroying a whole planet, or worse, maybe even an entire dimension!" Magolor shuddered at the thought of such a possibility.

“It could become possible, but I doubt he would do any such thing,” Meta Knight shrugged off the idea, dismissively waving one hand. “He's very benevolent, and sometimes even too kind for his own good. He fights only when he believes he has good reason to.” He tried not to feel very proud, but he was pleased with Kirby's virtues thus far. They were not much different than his own, and he was sure part of that was due to his mentoring. Nova knew no one else was raising him well.

"Oh, that's good, then. Still, it's just a little unnerving for me to hear... I-I mean, I only just met you four today, after all. And then to hear all this... It's a lot to take in. Eheheh..." Magolor admitted, giving a bit of an awkward laugh. It definitely sounded like the group had gone through a lot already. Too bad he needed them to go through even more.

“I suppose this has been a lot for one day, hasn't it?” the puff opposite him said resignedly, getting up from his seat. “If that'll be all, shall I take my leave?” he asked, already turning away a little.

"Er- wait!" the foreigner interjected quickly, reaching out with one hand. Meta Knight turned back to face him, a little surprised.

"I mean... Well, I do want to thank you all for agreeing to help me repair my ship, so... I figured it was only right to offer you all a place to spend the night?” he offered, and proceeded to make good use of his silver tongue. “The Lor has a good set of bedrooms that you all may use if you'd like. Besides, it saves travel time, I'm sure. Many important parts have been scattered across all of Pop Star, after all.”

“True...” It took the armsmaster a moment to weigh his options. Magolor did have some very good points, but common sense would dictate staying with a near-complete stranger was unwise. On the other hand, he remembered the old saying: 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.' If, in fact, Magolor turned out to be the latter, it would be easier to learn that by sticking close. Besides, it wasn't as if he was defenseless, should something go awry.

“... I accept your offer, and thank you for it,” he said after a long moment, bowing his head a little out of habit. “However, I would still like to leave for a short flight.” His wings had been bothering him for quite some time now, and it was getting to be late in the day. If he didn't fly, he was sure he wouldn't sleep well.

"Ah, very well then!" Magolor nodded, clasping his hands together. "I'll show you to a room when you get back. Uh... I hope you have a good flight, Sir,” he beamed.

“Er, si...” the knight muttered, passing by the foreigner to leave the ship. Being called 'Sir' outside of the castle always caught him off-guard. “I'll return within the hour.”

And with that, the knight stepped outside, and with a few flaps of his wings, became little more than a shrinking dot against the evening sky. The sun had just begun to set behind him, painting Dream Land's cloud-dotted skies pink and scarlet, and the weather was comfortable and fair for flying.

[i]He's been nothing but friendly and supportive thus far,[/i] Meta Knight mused once he was high enough to glide effortlessly from updraft to updraft. It was far easier to focus on his thoughts up here, with nothing to distract him, and the world seemingly so small and far away.

[i]Perhaps he really does just want to learn more about this world until he can return home...[/i] he thought briefly, but then his better judgment took over. [i]No, I can't be certain of that. I've lived and lost too much to place my faith in anyone so easily.[/i]

He recalled a time long ago, when he'd been betrayed and nearly killed by those he thought he could trust the most. It had nearly cost him his life, and that of several others. He didn't intend to make the same mistake again, especially not if it put Kirby at risk. He cared little if his own life ended at this point; he'd lived long and well, and although he'd made some mistakes, he could die at any time with no regrets, satisfied with what he'd done while he was alive. This world's entire future rested not in his hands, but in the child's, and if he were to perish due to his mentor's lack of good judgment...

Best not to think about that.

No, it was safer and wiser to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. If that meant he missed out on making a few friends, well, too bad.

The winged soldier left his train of thought behind when he noticed his three allies on the ground far below him, hauling the Lor Starcutter's oars back toward the ship itself. He angled his wings minutely, turning to head in the same direction.

__

"Huh... I wonder if Kirby would be capable of flight like that..." Magolor wondered aloud as he finished adding what Meta Knight had told him to the Lor's database. "I'm glad I've gotten Meta to trust me a little, but it still feels like I have a lot of work to do on that front..." A sigh escaped him.

"Still, it was interesting to learn so much information I haven't even known about, concerning the war, and his species..." he contemplated what he'd been told for a small while, giving in to speculation despite his better sense. He wasn't given long to do so, however.

"Knock knock! Guess who's got your stick things!" King Dedede came bursting in with the oars to the Lor hoisted over his shoulder, followed closely by Bandana Dee, Kirby, and Meta Knight, much to the Halcandran's delight... even if he was slightly irritated by the king's obnoxiousness.

[i]Could he really not have chosen a better method of informing me...?[/i] he thought, but a smile was plastered onto his face as he went out to help place the oars into their rightful slots.

"Thank you all very much for bringing me back the oars! Having you all helping me with this truly means a lot to me!" he said in complete honesty, shaking the hands of Dedede, Waddle Dee, and of course, Kirby. Meta Knight stood with his cape wrapped tightly around himself, but when Magolor offered his hand, the swordsman reluctantly accepted, shaking it with a firm grasp.

“I hope you didn't have much trouble on your way,” the foreigner added, gazing worriedly at all of them in turn.

"Heh! No problem at all! Whispy Woods was the only real threat, if you can even count him!" Dedede gave a hearty laugh, which the quiet Bandanna Dee nodded in time to.

"I see... Well, now that you all are here, and night is quickly arriving, I wish to offer you all rooms to stay in, as I offered Meta Knight earlier!" he announced, bowing to them just slightly. "It saves travel time, and it's my thanks for your help!"

“It's likely a far cry from your room in the castle, Sire, but the sooner this whole mess is over with, the better,” the masked armsman made his stance on it clear. “Traveling back and forth from the castle each day would be a waste of time and energy.”

Dedede thought it over for a bit before shrugging and patting Meta's back. "Well, if you say so!" He laughed a bit more before looking around. "So, where's the rooms at anyway?" he asked.

"Um... Right this way..." Magolor said, moving ahead and motioning toward the hallway, leading them to their rooms.

As usual, the King's obnoxious ways didn't fail to irritate Meta Knight, but it took more than that to wane his patience. He was about to follow when he noticed Kirby had been distracted by the ship's screen still displaying walls of scrolling images and text, and probably hadn't heard a word of what was said. He took it upon himself to usher the younger puff after the others, once again taking responsibility for the child by default.

“What am I going to do with you?” he muttered to no one in particular as they headed for their rooms, honestly not knowing the answer.

The only response he got was the same clueless look Kirby tended to give most everyone much of the time.

Magolor led the King and dee to their own rooms, and both of them decided to tuck in for the night. Dedede's snoring could be heard through the door almost immediately after it closed. Finally, the Halcandran led the puffs to the their rooms.

"There are enough rooms here for both of you, but since he's so young, if you'd rather Kirby be in your room alongside you, I can make arrangements," he offered.

“Er...” the older warrior cast a sidelong glance to Kirby, who still looked rather oblivious. He hadn't considered this at all. He knew the child managed fine on his own as far as living arrangements went, but... things also tended to go badly when he was left unsupervised for too long. He had a horrible case of pica that would rear its ugly head every now and again. There was also every chance he could break something, or wake in the middle of the night and go looking for food. At the same time, Meta Knight himself was not at all keen on sharing a bed with him. From what he'd seen of Kirby's sleeping habits, that would make for a [i]very[/i] unpleasant night.

“... If there's nothing of great value in these rooms that could go missing or get broken, and if there's no large food storage he can get into, then he should be alright on his own,” he concluded.

"Ah. A big eater, is he? Well, thankfully, practically everything in these rooms is nailed down to the floor, so to speak, and the storage room is only unlocked when I need something out of it," Magolor assured. "I guess that means you both get your own separate rooms, then! Will Kirby need anything else, though?" It was best to at least check, if only to earn a bit more of the older warrior's trust.

For a moment the pink puff seemed to consider the question, then shook his head.

“Off you go, then,” the older warrior shooed him to his room, and he went without any protest, promptly closing the door behind him.

"Well, if that's everything, then I guess we can call it a day! If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to come and ask!" Magolor bowed to the knight before heading to his own room, and rather hastily at that.

That left the swordsman with the room adjacent to Magolor's. He entered it, shut the door behind him, and let out the kind of sigh anyone lets out at the end of a long and hectic day. He gave the room a quick inspection, and noticed a dresser he could set his armor down on.

The cape was the first to go, as it usually was, since he could fold it and stretch his wings out at the same time. The shoulder pauldrons went next, and were placed a bit less gracefully beside the cape. He unstrapped his boots and kicked them off, and they ended up toppled over sideways on the floor. Just to be safe, he took his sword out of its sheath, setting it down on the otherwise empty nightstand immediately adjacent to the bed. His mask was placed right beside it. He couldn't explain exactly why if he'd had to, but he strongly disliked taking his gloves off, even to sleep, so he left them on.

The knight lay on his back with his wings sprawled out and just barely hanging over the edges of the double-sized bed, letting himself relax and sink into the mattress. He idly considered checking the shelves across the room for any reading material he'd be interested in, but decided he was too comfortable to get back up. He instinctively wrapped his wings around himself, and pulled the covers up, settling under them. Finally, he let his eyes slip closed, looking forward to a good night's sleep.

… Even if falling asleep may be difficult, given Dedede's snoring.