The year had almost reached its end on Popstar. A thin layer of snow covered the roofs of Pupu Village and the bare branches of the trees in Whispy Woods' forest. Frost clung to the walls and tree trunks, turned the landscape into a true dreamland when the weak sunlight granted the ice shimmering beauty.
Magolor, wizard from Halcandra and currently stranded on Popstar, remained in the shadows between the buildings. He wasn't exactly popular with the residents of the planet, not anymore. That didn't stop him from hanging around the town occassionally though; Magolor was a very social creature and some of the youngest children, those who didn't understand what the wizard had done, would play with him if he asked.
Today though, not a single child stopped to pay attention to him. They all jumped around their parents, helped with decorations in all colors. What was it they were celebrating anyway? And, what had caught Magolor's attention most, what were those things in the crates? The adults seemed very careful to keep the children away from them, so they had to be dangerous. But what did the villagers want to do with this?
Curiousity sent his ears flicking up and down. He considered asking the villagers himself for a moment, then discarded the thought. No, no one would answer him and he would be lucky if he got away with only words thrown at him.
An idea struck him, sudden and clear. With a small, delighted purr at his own wit, the wizard floated further into the shadows and out of the village.
Marx was, at least in the social aspect, the complete opposite of Magolor. While the Halcandran spend an - in Marx' eyes ridiculously - large amount of time hanging around the town, hoping for some form of contact, the little jester was very much content with staying on his own. Hidden in the woods, he lived his life relatively happy and away from a certain pink Star Warrior.
Few were allowed to disturb his peace, and one of them was the Halcandran wizard mentioned earlier. And just this wizard named Magolor came floating toward him now. The look of curiousity and confusion on the Halcandran's face told the jester that Popstar had found another way to amaze the visitor from a different dimension. He himself had been sitting on the lowest branch of a frost-covered oak, but let himself drop down once Magolor called out for him. His feet hit the ground and he grimaced when the impact sent a wave of slight pain up his body.
Magolor stared at the branch over their heads, then back at him: "How did you...?" Marx rose a brow at him. The wizard shook his head: "Nevermind. Marx, there is something I need to ask you."
The jester grinned, showing off sharp teeth and making this friendly reaction look a lot scarier than intended: "Go ahead."
Magolor clasped his hands together almost nervously: "It's about the villagers, you see, they... uhm, Marx?"
A very obvious frown had appeared on the other's face as soon as Magolor had mentioned the residents of the planet. His teeth made harsh, clicking noises when he grinded them. Still, his voice was surprisingly calm when he replied: "Go ahead."
"I just... I just wanted to know about the festival that is obviously going to take place soon. And about the things in the crates. They seem... dangerous?"
Marx tilted his head, or more, his entire body. Festival? What... oh. Oh.
He chuckled: "The year is ending tonight."
He got a confused stare from the other: "What? Why would you celebrate that?"
Marx twitched, probably trying to shrug. It nearly sent him falling over, but he didn't seem to care, so Magolor didn't comment on it.
"I don't know. They are silly like that. Also, the 'dangerous' things you saw probably were fireworks."
"Fireworks?," the wizard asked, "What are those?"
He got a half amused and half annoyed look from the jester. Then, Marx glanced at the quickly darkening sky. And he got an idea.
"I'll show you. Come on, this way."
And with that, he started walking. Magolor hesitated for a moment, then his curiousity won and he followed the little jester.
The grass on the hill was frozen stiff with frost, but the wizard and the jester who had sat down on it had huddled together under Magolor's cape for warmth. The stars in the clear, cloudless sky over their heads blinked cold and quiet down at them. A thin moon, thin like a claw, spent little light.
"So what are fireworks? Just tell me," Magolor whined quietly. Marx shook his head, smirking. The wizard pouted.
"Soon," the jester promised with a yawn.
Magolor opened his mouth to protest, but a loud BANG followed by a splash of color in the sky made the words die in his throat. He stared at the fading light with his mouth wide open under the cloth that covered it. More explosions followed, bathed their surroundings in all colors. Purple, white, gold, red, green, blue...
After a few moments, excitement overrode the Halcandran's awe. His right hand rested on Marx' back, the other one pointed up. Small happy purrs and coos escaped him with every splash of light at the horizon.
"There, a green one! And over there, it's red!"
He jumped up and down slightly, eventually pulling his cape of Marx. The jester made a quiet noise of protest and shifted closer to the Halcandran for warmth, but didn't speak up. He enjoyed seeing Magolor like that, with so much childish glee. Not that he would let anyone know that, but he really did like that side of the wizard. He felt tired now, under the flashes of mulitcolored light. The walk here had been quite exhausting and the warm body next to him seemed to invite him for a nap.
Smiling slightly to himself, he snuggled against the other more and closed his eyes. With Magolor's happy coos in his ears, he slowly drifted to sleep, the rumbling of his purrs sending pleasant shivers through his body.
"Happy New Year," he muttered, before falling asleep completely.
Okay, I didn't proof read this, so there might be errors. Anyway, happy (late) new year~