Shoes of metal clanged against dirt as a round figure emerged from the shadows. With his face covered by a scarred mask and his black cape draping over his shoulders, Meta Knight had quite the gruesome appearance. Golden pools full of wisdom and prestige darted across the sea of howling fans, studying the mere thousands of faces with dedication. His silver shoulder pads framed his short form, and a top hat similar to Rose's own sat in the creature's head. In his mitten-clad hands, he held a sort of wand colored ebony with an ivory tip at the end. Behind the frightening mask he wore, his lips veered into a smirk and he then looked over his shoulder to where his helper stood.

She was young, naïve, and shy all the same. Her blond locks fell down in cascades behind her back, practically reaching the floor. Holding back some strands, there was a tattered lily of lilac color, known to be her small addition to the outfit she wore. It was an outfit of two colors, pink and lime, divided by twisty curls and curly twists. She had her gloved hands crossed behind her back, and her emerald eyes were nervously scanning the crowd alongside her mentor. Her face was blurred in makeup and colors, which she found useless for her age. And her ginger feet were shifting nervously as she waited for Meta Knight to move so she could follow his footsteps.

The air was tense with the savage screeches of the fans and the stomping of feet against the bleachers. Both Meta Knight and his helper stood in a corner of the circus tent, not even touching the ring. However, Savage Rose was introducing them in the circus ring along with her dubbed "pet" Charge Knight. Beside her, the two Wanderers sat tranquilly in their horses, waiting for the mistress to finish so they could leave the ring.

"… Meta Knight and his assistant, Fumu!"

And that was their cue, Meta Knight hauled Fumu close, tugging her like a rag doll. The girl tightened her closed eyes out of fear as the knight swung his cape around them both. In a matter of seconds, they stood where Savage Rose once did. Shoving Fumu hastily away— but with delicacy, mind you— Meta Knight gave a bow with closed eyes while Fumu gave a slight curtsy. With both magicians having their gazes lowered, the fans started to cheer and whistle, anxious for the show to start.

Meta Knight slowly opened an amber eye to then open the other and straighten his posture, Fumu following his actions. From the bleachers, you could see the girl had much respect for the masked man, as well as much fear. Meta Knight had fought in war, and was always the one who was considered the wisest. He's lived up to 50,000 years, and had yet to live his life out fully.

In other words, he'll die hard.

A sigh ran off of Meta's lips and the magician crossed his arms slowly behind his back, his eyes fluttering around the spectators. As if by mental contact, the audience's screams began dying down and silence started settling in. Everyone sat back down in their respective places and edged their seats, waiting for the performers to act.

There was silence and the sound of small murmurs coursed the wind.

Meta Knight cleared his throat, "Thank you," he managed to mumble in his low-toned voice. The audience gave diverse answers, but all referred to a muttered 'my pleasure' or a 'you're welcome'. However, Meta Knight lifted his hand and the crowd went dead-silent. The knight chuckled breathlessly, making the maybe-too-close Fumu shudder. His gloved hand fell to his side and the knight gave a mere reverence as a way of thanks.

"I… am the great Meta Knight," he started. "And with my assistant, Fumu—" he gestured towards the girl, who nodded once as a reply "—I will help you venture into the world of magic."

And for the first time that night, the crowd gave small, quiet applause. But maybe it was because Meta Knight already intimidated them…

"Good," he proceeded, with glowing, blue eyes under the visor. His eyes later shifted to Fumu, winking.

"Let's begin!" the blond humanoid said with a forced smile upon her painted lips. But it was then when the crowd viciously shrieked once more. Meta Knight got angry at the beginning, but decided to sigh it off and keep on acting. The navy knight twirled the wand in his fingers and threw it in the air, later catching it with the other hand. As he caught it, he thumped the wand against his charcoal-colored metal shoe twice and later swung the wand in Fumu's direction. The girl stared a bit cross-eyed as the wand transformed into a single black rose, the tips of the petals dyed white. She nervously took it with her lips twitching into a smile, and repeated the process Meta Knight had done.

She tapped her orange slipper twice with the thorny stem, and raised it to view. As she swerved the rose towards Meta Knight, the rose transformed back into a wand, and the crowd gave a resounding gasp of awe at the trick. Meta Knight nodded and took the wand in his warm gloves, bowing at the sound of a fanfare from the orchestra. Hands, paws, and claws reached for claps of praise, already the show had started and everyone was excited.

Now with the wand in hand, Meta Knight preceded to a small barrel colored red and yellow, divided by zigzags. Much like a certain penguin's clothing pattern. Fumu followed him like a lovesick pup, her lips forcefully pressed into a thin line as she awaited orders. That first trick had come out quite alright, now she had to make sure the others ended up fairly well. You see, she doesn't dwell very well with magic.

The knight leaped onto the barrel, turning to face the audience. He was a man known for lack of height, and being on top of something made him feel as if there were shorter people in the world. It made him feel better about himself… he smiled and stood even straighter than he already was. Sudden pride filled his being and he began, waving his hand around. In the silence, the audience held their breaths as prickles of golden dust started leaving the ivory tip of the magician's wand. It became a sight to behold.

From the small specks of dust, the silhouette of a dragon formed. The dots glued together to stretch out the silhouette, and Meta Knight stopped waving his wand around, twirling it around his fingers to ensure its place in his hands. A drumroll came from the shadowed orchestra as two, short, front legs emerged from the dragon, later followed by two hind legs as short as the others. As the cymbals clashed, the dragon stretched out its head and held it high, snorting out an amount of foggy breath.

A simultaneous gasp escaped the whole crowd's lips and the dragon stood rigidly still, specks of dust flicking around as the silhouette waited to be controlled. Meta Knight mounted off the barrel and walked around the three-dimensional silhouette, inspecting every inch to make sure it was completely formed. As he circled the majestic, golden shadow, the creature shifted its legs to present its invisible muscles, like a horse would do. The magician, still encircling the magic beast, extended a gloved hand and ran it through its smooth surface, making the creature lower its head in slight relaxation. It had a strong and large back; big enough to mount even humans, and its neck was high like a giraffe's. A pair of horns was placed just below its ears, and a line of spikes ran down the back of his neck, ending at the tail. Its legs were short, yet sturdy, and three claws extended out of each, menacingly thumping on the ground with every shift the dragon made.

Meta Knight stopped walking just as he reached to be in front of the beast, crossing his arms behind his back. Fumu slowly approached her mentor and crossed her arms behind her back also, her eyes getting adjusted to the minor light the dragon produced. The girl released a sigh at the utter silence and refrained herself from sucking her teeth in uncertainty. That thing in front of her looked big enough to swallow the circus whole. When she tried to look at Meta Knight over her shoulders she saw he was thinking something over with green eyes, his left hand idly reaching for his wand, which was somehow hidden behind his cape. When his fingers felt the cold sensation of metal —since the wand was made out of silver— he slowly yanked it out and twirled it around his fingers. Though, if by now you hadn't noticed, Meta Knight liked to twirl the wand between his fingers, so he could make sure it was in his grasp.

The navy puff stretched out his wand-holding arm and flicked his wrist to the right, making the dragon involuntarily lie down in that direction. The creature was so heavy, the ground beneath the bleachers shook and the crowd gave quiet shrieks of both amazement and fear. Now knowing of the creature's weight, Meta Knight jerked his wrist upwards, the dragon soon standing on its four legs once more.

And there was silence…

Full of suspense and anxiety.

Where the crowd was wide-eyed, and fast-pulsed.

And Fumu was starting to doubt the one who had taken her in.

But Meta Knight simply gazed at the dragon and sluggishly tapped his wand against the ground, where it reached when his arm was lying next to him.

…

The Waddle Dees in the shadowed orchestra were beginning to panic, mostly because the conductor had gone suddenly missing and it was their cue. It was part of the show to start a slow violin diminuendo as the dragon began to form. However, that had to be delayed due to the missing conductor. Where exactly could he be? There was a Waddle Dee at the trombone, one at the battery, one at the electric guitar, two with a normal one, eight handled trumpets, three worked with bells and cymbals, twelve handled flutes, and fifteen handled violins. The only that wasn't present was Conductor Dee, who was sought out for his white collar and ebony tie. The scarlet puff was always making sure everyone was present before any performance, but now it seems he's the one who's absent.

Whoa… wait... wait a minute!

Rushing from behind the bleachers, Conductor Dee was running madly, beads of sweat flying off his peachy forehead. Under his arm, a bunch of messy pages coated in notes and letters, and on the other paw, his small stick. He had on a pair of black shoes with two white buttons on the exterior and his trademark collar and tie. He ran right across the ring, dodging a confused Meta Knight, and rapidly ducked into the shadows. In a matter of seconds the violins started to rapidly play. Strings being strum by an artifact, the sounds were almost angelical.

They'd better be… after starting off late!

Tap, tap, tap…

There was a silence, and everyone had their eyes glued on Meta Knight as he repeatedly tapped his wand against the floor.

What exactly was he doing?

Before anyone could think of an answer, a streak of scarlet, peach, white, and black passed by, a frenzy of papers marking its path. In a sudden burst, the violins raced in sound, almost as if they were in glorious joy. Meta Knight let his eyes flicker curiously at the specific spot the streak of colors had disappeared into and suppressed the urge to shake his head in frustration. Hastily, the knight twirled the wand back in place and aimed at the glowing, golden dragon.

The animal fixed its posture to obey orders, its bland eyes locked on the wand. Meta Knight promptly twirled the wand again and swerved it towards the beast. The dragon gave a step back and nodded once, its tail twitching anxiously. The magician started to slowly wave his wand left to right, in a rhythm that was the exact opposite of the frenzied violins. This had its purpose, to indirectly tell the players to slow down the music.

Apparently they didn't get it. However, the dragon caught another idea and stared moving his tail along with the wand's movements.

As the musicians saw the dragon's slow movements, their quickened pace was slowed, and the violins strummed in perfect harmony with the moves. The violins recited a beautiful song and they managed to fit the performers' movements.

So then Meta Knight advanced and waved his wrist in the form of loops. In turn, the dragon started circling Meta Knight, and its heavy footsteps made the ground beneath Meta Knight and Fumu crumble. The scared girl scooted closer to Meta Knight, and the magician absentmindedly pulled her even closer, his eyes locked on the moving silhouette. In the bleachers, the crowd was tensely waiting for something a bit more exciting to happen and in the shadows, Stranger stood with an arrow in his bow, eyeing the luminescent beast warily. The wanderer was silent and the darkness cast upon him, only dim light was perceived and his emerald eyes stood out from under his hood. If you observed closely, his lips were drooping into a frown.

This act is saving the last one. The wise magician knew well what went wrong about twenty minutes, that Marx had lost control and went into an awkward frenzy all around the circus ring. Stranger's brows drew together as he spotted from his place Fumu, practically glued to Meta Knight's side. Her cheeks were a very subtle hint of pink, but the elder didn't seem to notice as he maneuvered the mystic creature, which by now, had quickened its pace and was jogging in circles over Meta Knight. Stranger let his fingers constrict the wooden bow, pressing the arrow into a tighter position. He was so uncertain…

Back at the middle of the ring, Meta Knight was still waving his wand around, and the dragon responded by circling him still. All of a sudden, the navy knight stopped his wand's movements and the dragon obeyed, stopping dead in its tracks with its back to its controller, facing the crowd. In a swift action, Meta Knight twirled his wand and pointed upwards, towards the tall roof of the tent.

And then, under the matter of seconds, the dragon leapt up, and a pair of wings stretched outwards, large and majestic. The violins reached the highest of notes and stopped simultaneously, leaving a sulking silence of awe from the spectators. The dragon's wings were similar to Meta Knight's own, with a claw sprouting from the joint and with thin fabric linking the three, spiky bones. And there it floated, in midair, demonstrating its powerful wings with pride. The beast was so large, that even in midair, its tail snaked through the ground.

Everyone's eyes, including Stranger's, had gotten wide at the sight of such magnificent approach. The silent made everyone feel overwrought and the still dragon in midair was making it even worse. But before anything else would happen, the dragon stretched its wings wider and immediately took flight. Its tail was flailing behind it, and its wings beat with such force, hats and glasses were blown away from the viewers. Immediate cheers and applause erupted as the dragon flew over the encircled bleachers, fanning everyone with its wings. Its neck was held low, so the people could reach up and touch it as it flew by. It felt smooth, like porcelain, yet it was strong.

Fumu was accustomed to seeing creatures like these every day, but today was different. Meta Knight would practice with lions, or horses, or even hawks for that matter. But something as large as a dragon? The blond hadn't expected that! But, it was so beautiful, so tame… yet, untamable. It was a being made of light, of magic and sorcery, of years of experience and practice. It was truly a sight to behold, how that magnificent creature flew over the sea of spectators, letting itself be caressed quickly by the hands of those who reached out. The violins started playing again, this time, slowly. It didn't match the dragon's movements, but it matched the ambiance.

The music was sweet and soft.

The sort of music you'd dance to.

The sort of music that made you sigh in contempt.

And soon, the dragon's circling flights got shorter and shorter. The dragon flew more and more away from the audience, slowly and discreetly. It was like a very thin spiral pattern that ended just atop Meta Knight and Fumu. The golden silhouette stopped right over the two, making a large shadow cast upon them due to the lighting. It was then, when Meta Knight turned to Fumu and took her hand in his. The girl looked taken aback at the gesture and observed with a raised brow how the dragon started to slowly descend. Before the creature got the chance to touch the earthy floor, Meta Knight twirled his wand one last time, and transformed it into a rose. Just like the beginning, a black rose with white tips, and handed to Fumu, who took it with a genuine smile on her lips. She tightened her grasp on the knight's hand and caressed one of the rose's petals, just before the dragon met the ground and dispersed into a sea of golden, luminescent dots while the lights dimmed down and the radiant specks that was once a dragon were the only illumination.

There was a silence…

But the crowd had gone crazy, chanting out their names and whistling like savages. They clapped as hard as they could and cheered 'till no end. Up until now, the circus was going well.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…" Savage Rose's unmistakable voice screamed over the screeches of praise the audience gave. The light faded in slowly, and the two magicians had disappeared, leaving Rose in their place. At the sight of the mistress the cheers went even crazier…

"That was the excellent Meta Knight and his beautiful assistant, Fumu." She announced, her hand fiddling with her top hat while the other drummed against the floral staff of hers.

After the applause and standing ovation, the ringleader continued, "Now, may I present to you, The Indestructible Escargon!"

I must say, I'm very sorry for updating this late. I planned to update earlier, but my laptop crashed… I have failed you :( And note that this story will be updated late, like monthly or something… because I seriously take A LOT time while writing this. There wasn't much Athelas in this chapter, Sweey… I just didn't know where to place her. So I put Stranger instead. :) Thanks to all of you who've had to suppress the urge to hunt me down and force me to update ^^;

Read my other stories while you're at it!

:3 Review~